


Crescent Moon

by FlameWolf



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Bestiality (With Sesshomaru's Demon form), Bloodplay, Complete, F/M, Fingering, Masturbation, Oral, Original Character Death(s), Pregnancy, Rape/Non-con Elements, graphic birth, old fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-31 19:02:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 64,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3989212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameWolf/pseuds/FlameWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl wakes up in the Fuedal Era in the middle of the night! When she runs into a familiar looking giant white dog things only get more complicated. Will she get home or is she stuck in the past with the king of ice?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from Inuyasha. This is just for fun and I make no profit from it. :3

Cold! It was so cold! The air smelled like a forest and there was a strong breeze. Also the ground was rough and pointy. Groaning, a black haired female opened her hazel eyes. 'Did I leave the window open?' she wondered groggily. With a fumbling hand, the pajama clad female reached into the empty darkness to find a lamp that wasn't there. Her brow wrinkled in confusion as her questing hand didn't come in contact with anything after reaching for a bit. Trying to force her eyes to adjust to the pitch black, the confused woman looked around blindly. Something wasn't right at all. This didn't feel like her bed and the night sounds she was hearing were far too clear. It was almost as if she were outside.

Slowly her eyes began to adapt, allowing her to be able to make out the shapes of trees and bushes. Suddenly she was wide awake and stumbling to her feet. The cold wind blew through the flimsy pajamas she wore as she clutched her small hands to her ample bosom. Where was she? How did she get here? What on earth was going on? “Okay Flame, get a hold of yourself,” she whimpered, staring around with large, frightened eyes. A snapping twig snapped her back to reality as she spun around to blindly look for the source of the noise. Her hazel eyes strained to make out anything in the shadows of the surrounding foliage.

Shaking, Flame whimpered as her eyes could make out nothing in the darkness. Anything could be out there in this darkness. She had nothing to protect herself with or any sort of light source. Rubbing her cold arms, the cold, scared woman looked up into the sky for any sign of a moon or stars. Unfortunately the sky was overcast with nothing but blackness to greet her. On the verge of tears, Flame headed towards the nearest tree. Looking up, Flame contemplated climbing it despite her extreme fear of heights. It would certainly be safer up there until daylight.

With a resigned sigh, the shaking female began to scrabble up the tree. The rough bark scraped against her, leaving small, bleeding wounds. Undeterred, Flame climbed up until she was two feet off the ground. Holding her knees against her chest, the shell shocked woman began to cry softly. Small shadows moved in the woods below as she sobbed quietly. Somehow she doubted there would be any sleep tonight.

A bright light pierced through the darkness of her closed eyes, causing Flame to flinch awake. She covered her eyes, only to nearly fall off the branch she was perched on. Her heart lurched in her stomach as she felt herself begin to slide. Grasping with her blunt nails, Flame stabilized herself quickly. Grasping her chest while nearly fainting in fear, Flame tried to get her racing heart to slow down. Once her heart was no longer trying to beat its way free of her chest, Flame carefully began to climb down.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, the shaking female nearly kissed the ground. Now that the sun was shining, Flame took the opportunity to explore her surroundings. She was in a huge forest. In fact there seemed to be no end to it. Looking up at the sun to gauge her position, Flame began to head towards the west. Any direction seemed as good as the next right now. “I hope I can find a road or something. I don't know how this happened but I have to get through this,” she encouraged to herself. As she walked, she was disappointed to only encounter more forest. At least it was peaceful here. Birds were singing, dusts motes were playing in the sunshine. Not a sign of another living thing to be found anywhere.

As she walked, Flame's stomach growled loudly to remind her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday. Stopping, she began to look around for any berries or edible plants. The only things she saw were some bamboo shoots barely breaking the ground. Biting her lip, Flame chose to move on but to keep her eye out.

All too soon she found herself walking in the muted light of midday. By now her stomach was aching and growling loudly from hunger. So far she had been unsuccessful in getting food. Sitting down, Flame huddled in a ball to rock herself. She had never been so hungry in her life. She was so desperate that she began to nibble on some grass to quell the hunger pangs. As she nibbled on the sweet blades, she heard a loud crash from a few feet to her left. Flame shot to her feet, her shoulder length black hair fluttering with her movement. 'What on earth was that?!'

Cautiously, she began to move in the direction the noise had come from. She sincerely hoped it was just loggers and not some bear knocking over trees. As she kept walking she heard more loud crashes and the ground was starting to shake under her feet. Also some odd noises were coming from up ahead. It almost sounded like growling. 'Maybe its just the chainsaws and the shaking is from large trees hitting the ground,' she tried to reason. As she got closer the shaking almost got as bad as a small earthquake. The crashing noises were like thunder to her ears, forcing her to cover them. The noises were also definitely more animal than machine.

The area around her began to show signs of something cataclysmic happening here. Trees were torn up, deep gashes about nine feet long and two feet deep were all over the ground, tufts of white fur was caught in the bark of some of the broken trees. The whole scene mystified her. What could cause such damage? Her curiosity getting the better of her, Flame moved closer to the noises until she spied a flash of white through the dense trees. Cautiously, she timidly peered past the trees to see a sight that took her breath away.

A giant white dog with magenta stripes on both cheeks and a blue crescent moon on its head was locked in battle with a giant spider. Flame immediately froze in fear, holding her breath. She wanted nothing more than to run before the two monsters noticed her but her legs felt like two steel beams. She was helplessly rooted to the spot, watching the two combatants throw each other around. The giant dog had several bleeding gashes and bites but the spider was missing four legs and a couple eyes. It certainly looked like the dog was winning.

Her hazel eyes widened as the dog pinned the spider down to deal the killing blow. The spider lurched forward, biting the huge canine with its large fangs. Tipping back its massive head, the bleeding dog let out a howl of pain. Wincing, Flame covered her ears to protect them from the sheer volume of the vocalization. With the fangs of the arachnid still in its neck, the dog jerked its head down and bit the head off the creature.

Blood still dripping from its fanged mouth, the snarling dog turned its head to stare right at her. Its crimson eyes bored into her while its lip twitched up and down. Flame gasped as its hackles bristled and it took a defensive stance. Then she ran as fast as she could away from the creature. The ground started shaking violently, nearly throwing her off her feet, as she tried to lose the pursuing beast. She knew that it was no use even as she continued to run. The thing was so huge that it would catch up to her in no time. She could already feel its hot breath on the back of her neck.

Suddenly she was pressed into the grassy ground by a huge white paw that nearly covered her. The rough paw pads scraped against her already abused skin as the giant canine bent its head down. Its upper lip still raised to show it meant business, the building sized canine almost seemed to examine her. As its nose twitched, taking in her scent, it slowly lowered its upper lip. “N-nice doggy,” Flame stuttered, unable to think of anything else to say to placate the creature.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the over sized canine almost seemed to snort in annoyance. Gingerly, now that she was fairly certain that she wasn't going to be lunch, Flame began to pat one of the large toes pinning her. “O-okay fella. Y-you can see I mean n-no harm right?” she asked shakily.

Huffing, the white beast lifted its paw off the shaking female. Flame got to her feet clumsily, brushing herself off. When she looked back up, the huge dog was staring down at her. Blood trickled from several wounds all over its body except for the punctures on its neck; those were trickling a weird, green fluid as well as blood. Yet the beast seemed more concerned with trying to figure her out. Its head was cocked to the side like it was almost listening to something.

Flame walked towards it slowly, looking it over. The dog sat, almost seeming to sigh as she stared up at it. Her eyes wandered to its lower belly, blushing as she noticed the mammoth sheath it sported. It was definitely a male. “What are you? Why do you look so familiar?” she asked out loud. The huge dog tilted its head down to look at her as she spoke. He was also smart. For some reason it looked like the huge beast had questions of his own.

Sesshomaru stared down at the small, oddly dressed female before him. He had expected her to run from him again once he let her up, instead she was examining him curiously. Where had she come from? Why was she dressed in such odd attire? Why did she say he looked familiar? He had never seen this human in his long life. He wanted to change to ask her these questions himself but the spider's poison had him stuck in his demon form. It would be a week until he changed back. Until then he supposed he could stay around her until he could ask her what he wanted.

Suddenly a loud growl from her empty stomach broke the silence. With a blush, Flame covered her stomach with one hand. “I'm so hungry...,” she whimpered quietly. To her surprise, the giant beast stood up and began to walk off into the woods. Not wanting to be left alone again, Flame started to run after him. The large animal turned around, giving her a hard glare. Making a small noise of fear, she stopped in her tracks. With an annoyed sounding growl, the massive canine picked her up gently by the back of her shirt and carried her back to where they had started. Giving her another hard stare, the dog walked into the woods again.

Still stunned by being carried like a baby, Flame stood where the canine had placed her. With the way he was acting, it was almost as if he wanted her to stay here. Deciding to listen to what the small voice inside was telling her, Flame sat in the grass and waited. She wondered if he would come back at all. Flame sighed, resting her chin on her knees. If he was coming back, she hoped he wouldn't be long. If the spider and the dog were any indication, she wasn't in Kansas anymore. Why did the dog seem so familiar? Well she had some time to think about it while he was gone.

Sesshomaru hoped the human took his signals as he looked for something to bring back to feed her. After all it wouldn't do to have her expire from hunger. Wanting to get back quickly, the western lord sniffed the air for anything that he could feed the female. He scented persimmons on the wind and moved toward them. Gently, he plucked the white fruit with his claws so he wouldn't get his saliva all over them. He placed the fruit on his back, then went back the way he came. Although it had only been five minutes, the transformed lord hoped nothing had happened to the female.

As Flame waited for the animal to come back or not, she pondered on why he kept tickling her memory. It was right on the tip of her tongue and driving her nuts. Her brow was furrowed with frustration as she tried to remember. Suddenly it came to her and she stiffened. If her suspicions were correct then how could she even be here? Here wasn't even supposed to exist! She could test her theory when the dog returned. Now she had absolutely no doubt at all that he would.

Five minutes later the white beast emerged from the trees looking decidedly annoyed. He was holding one paw up and hobbling towards her awkwardly. Either he had hurt himself or he was carrying something. If this dog was who she thought he was, he was holding something. She craned her neck to look up into his red eyes as he deposited six persimmons in front of her. Now was the perfect time to test her theory! “Thank you Lord Sesshomaru,” she remarked with a respectful bow. If he didn't respond, she was going to feel really foolish.

Sesshomaru blinked, almost jumping in surprise that she knew his name and title. She certainly didn't look like one of his subjects. This woman was getting more and more interesting by the minute. Lowering his head, he sniffed at her again just to be sure that she didn't come from his lands. She smelled of apples and roses but not his lands. Unable to ask her, he settled for quirking a fluffy brow to show his confusion.

Flame was just as shocked by his reaction. It was Sesshomaru! The implications made her mind reel. Where she had come from Sesshomaru was from an anime! None of this was supposed to be real! How did this happen? How could this happen? Would she ever get home again? More and more questions buzzed through her mind as the western lord stared at her. Suddenly feeling faint, the pale female sat down and held her head in both hands. This couldn't be real. None of this could be happening. It had to be a dream. Flame gave her arm a pinch to try to wake herself up. “Ouch, welp not a dream..” she muttered to herself.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was getting impatient. She seemed to be as confused as him from her scent. In fact she wasn't paying attention to him at all. That certainly wouldn't do. The taiyoukai reached out with a huge paw, poking her with a claw to get her attention. The western lord wasn't accustomed to being ignored and this human certainly wasn't going to do it.

Startling at the sudden poke, Flame looked up to see a very frustrated Inu-youkai glaring at her. The very aura around him yelled of impatience and curiosity. Whatever color was left in her face drained as she realized what he wanted. He wanted to know how she knew his name. 'Oh great Flame, what are you going to tell him?' her mind asked sardonically. While she was pondering on what to say, the impatient lord huffed at her, telling her that time was short.

“This is going to sound crazy so just bare with me..,” she started, looking at him for approval. Sesshomaru only nodded, continuing to stare at her silently.

“I come from a time well ahead of this one. In my time we watch plays on a box called a T.V. Magic sends many plays to many T. V.s all over the world,” she explained, pausing to let the information sink in.

Sesshomaru absorbed what she told him quietly. The woman was from a different time? That would certainly explain the strange clothing as well as her odd actions. Where she came from also had strong magic from what she was describing. If she got here, maybe she could go back and bring him with her. He would very much like to see these wonders for himself. Still none of this explained how she knew who he was. Refocusing on the small mortal, he nodded for her to continue.

Seeing the nod, Flame began to wring her hands nervously. This next bit he might not take so well. “Well one of the plays I used to watch was a fictional story. A story about this world,” she murmured, unable to look him in the eyes. Shaking, she nervously awaited his reaction.

All the western lord could do was blink. A play about this world? Fictional? Did that mean he was nothing but a fairly tale to her people? Growling in frustration, the transformed youkai wanted nothing more than to go back to his normal form. He had so many unanswered questions burning inside him.

Noticing his frustration, Flame rubbed her pajama clad arm. She knew full well the youkai in front of her could kill her instantly if he so wished. Suddenly a new question came to her mind. Why hadn't he transformed back into his human form? Looking up, she looked at him curiously. Maybe it had something to do with the venom the spider had injected. “Um, Lord Sesshomaru, why haven't you changed back?” she asked tentatively.

Her question startled him out of his frustrated musings. How could he answer her if he couldn't talk? Sighing heavily, he merely pointed at the dripping puncture wounds on his neck with one claw. It was beginning to annoy him that he couldn't communicate. Although he had never spoken much before now, he missed the ability now that he needed it.

Flame nodded and started to say more when her stomach let out another loud complaint. Blushing, she picked up one of the orange fruits. She carefully examined the heart shaped berry before taking a large bite. A tangy, sweet taste filled her mouth as she chewed. When she finished the first one she quickly reached for the next one, tearing into it voraciously. She had never tasted anything so wonderful in her life! The juice ran down her chin as she ate with wild abandon. She didn't even pause to wipe her chin as she reached for the next fruit.

Knowing he wouldn't get anything more out of her until she ate, Sesshomaru resigned himself to watching her. From the way she was going it almost seemed like she hadn't eaten in days. Huffing softly, he looked around for any sign of demons wandering around. He wasn't surprised to see nothing stirring at all. Most demons avoided him because of his strong aura. He was possibly the most powerful demon besides Naraku and most knew it.

By the time she was finally finished with the persimmons, the sun was starting to dip low in the sky. As the air cooled, Flame began to shiver. She found herself wishing that at least some of her warmer clothes would appear. These pajamas were no protection against the cold at all. Standing up, she looked up at the stoic beast and asked, “Any ideas of where to go now Lord Sesshomaru?” As she watched, the canine lord stood up. He slowly lowered his head, gently picking her up by the back of her shirt again and placing her in his neck ruff. The fur around her was long, silky and white as snow. If she wanted to, she could simply sink into it and lose herself.

As the human in his long neck ruff nestled in, the taiyoukai snorted in annoyance. He would allow it this once since she was cold but he wouldn't allow her to treat him like a common dog after this. Growling softly, he ran off into the dense woods. The trees fell in front of him as he galloped towards the west. If he got her to his home he could at least give her something more warm to wear than the strange garments she had on. As he ran, he noticed the female had nearly buried herself in his neck fur but was still shivering violently. As the last of the light faded from the day, Sesshomaru trotted into a nearby cave. Once inside he laid down to allow his passenger to slide off.

Flame was reluctant to leave the warmth of Sesshomaru's neck ruff but she slid off him. She figured he would pluck her off himself if she didn't. She looked around the cave and found herself impressed. It was simply huge! The space could have held two of Sesshomaru standing. The walls were perfectly smooth and mark free, as if it had been made by someone. “Did you make this place?” she asked, rubbing her arms to keep warm.

Sesshomaru only nodded, laying on his side while watching her. Flame nodded in response, resuming her exploration. It was like being inside a giant dome made of stone. Nothing else was inside the cave besides her and the inu-youkai. Flame's teeth started to chatter as the stone accentuated the coldness of the night air. It was so cold, she wished she could start a fire. Suddenly she heard a quiet wuffing noise and she turned to face Sesshomaru. The giant dog was staring at her intently, moving his tail to make a space for her.

Flame froze, blushing furiously as she understood he wanted her to sleep against him. It would be a lot warmer than sleeping on the cold, stone floor. She knew, though, that Sesshomaru hated humans with one exception. Not to mention the fact that she had a huge crush on him. Ever since she had started watching the show when she was 18, she had a crush on the handsome taiyoukai. She had often wondered what his demon form's fur felt like. She had even fantasized about giving him a belly rub while he was in dog form. A slightly louder wuffing noise startled her back to reality.

His red eyes glared at her, a clear warning in their crimson depths. If she didn't go voluntarily, he would place her there himself. He didn't want her to freeze to death before he had answers after all. Flame swallowed and moved towards the towering demon. The closer she got, the slower she went until he pushed her against him gently with a giant paw. Before she could protest, Sesshomaru put his heavy, fluffy tail over her. Resigned to her fate, the blushing woman closed her eyes and tried to sleep. As she slipped into real slumber, Sesshomaru watched over her to make sure she stayed warm. After all, he seldom needed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really, really, really old. I wrote this to limber up and dust off my skills and I think it shows.


	2. The Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Old fic is old but wildly popular on adultfanfiction. It has been finished for a long while but I finally decided to post it here. Enjoy it in all its bad glory!

Warm. Comfy. Soft. Whatever blanket she was using was very comfortable. Stretching, Flame rolled over to snuggle deeper into her equally soft bed. Dim memories of yesterday came to her mind as she slept. It must have all been a weird dream of some sort; the most vivid dream she had ever had in fact. She had to admit that she was happy to be back in her nice, warm bed instead of trapped in feudal era Japan. Sighing contently, the sleepy female nuzzled into her fluffy, breathing mattress. It was then something clicked in her sleep dazed mind. Since when was her bed fluffy or breathing? Her hazel eyes slowly opened to be greeted by foot upon foot of white fur.

Everything came rushing back to her and she pushed herself up. Standing up, she looked up to see Sesshomaru's crimson eyes staring down at her. It hadn't been a dream. She was really in the feudal era from an anime. It was almost enough to make her start crying in frustration. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered in the least. He stood slowly, stretching languidly. His bones cracked loudly as he did so. “So, I guess we just keep going huh?” she asked the transformed taiyoukai. Looking at her sardonically, the giant western lord walked out of the cave. Meeping in surprise, Flame trotted after him quickly. He was just as much of a jerk in person it seemed. Sighing in frustration at Sesshomaru's silence, she fell in stride beside him.

The mammoth canid was walking as slow as he could so that his small charge could keep up. His crimson gaze skirted along to foliage around them, watching out for any demon stupid enough to make a try for the human. The small, black haired female was, thankfully, silent about the pace he kept. Inuyasha's wench was always complaining loudly about every little thing, he was grateful that she wasn't like that so far. He would have to reward her behavior later.

Nervously, the black haired femme stuck as close to the massive youkai as possible. So far everything she had seen had proven the show to be accurate to where she was. So she could easily guess that Sesshomaru enjoyed the quiet, so she stayed quiet to keep him happy. She also could assume he was as powerful as the show portrayed. Still, she was exceedingly nervous about getting attacked by roaming demons. What she had already seen was enough to make her want to have a nervous breakdown! The spider demon from yesterday was going to give her nightmares for a long time. She was surprised she didn't have nightmares last night.

Sighing quietly, Flame looked up at the giant lord as they walked in silence. The sun dappled on his pure white coat, making her wonder if the sun felt good on his fur. Turning her eyes to the forest, she finally noticed how dense and wild they actually were. There were no signs of people, not even a real path to follow. Songs of various birds filled the air as well as various sounds from bugs. Forests like this were very rare where she came from. As she was contemplating this, a sudden blast of blue fire came flying right at her face.

Just as suddenly, Sesshomaru's huge, white tail swatted at the fire ball. His crimson gaze was fixed in the direction the attack came from. His upper lip was slightly lifted in threat. Growling softly, the giant, bristling taiyoukai stalked into the dense foliage. With no direction from Sesshomaru, Flame stayed where she was. The youkai was furious and she didn't want to turn the aggression towards her. It wasn't too long before he came out carrying a familiar looking red haired tyke. The child was shaking in Sesshomaru's massive jaws as he was carried and dropped in front of Flame.

The small, imp-like child cowered, his small, fox-like feet curled up in the air. His small tail was bushed out in fear as he looked up with wide, green eyes. All signs of aggression had long since left the western lord as he recognized the child. Flame also recognized him and smiled kindly as she knelt to his level. “Well hello,” she said kindly. Still shaking, the small fox demon slowly relaxed. It didn't seem like he was going to be killed for his mistake at least.

Sesshomaru was confused as to why the small kitsune was alone. Inuyasha's miko had never let him far from her. Maybe it meant they were close by. The very thought made the mighty lord grimace. The last thing he wanted was his brash brother to see him like this. He would never hear the end of it if Inuyasha saw his bite wound. Thankfully, his companion asked the question for him. “What are you doing alone?” Flame asked kindly.

“I got separated from the others. There was a huge bear demon and Naraku had it under his control! I ran to hide and fell down a hill. I must have hit my head because the next thing I knew, I was behind that bush. When I saw Sesshomaru, I panicked. I'm sorry I almost hit you,” he explained, fiddling with his shirt nervously.

Once he heard this, Sesshomaru growled quietly in frustration. Now he had two beings to care about. At least he was stuck in his most powerful form. Also the fox seemed to have some form of protection. With a small snort, Sesshomaru resumed walking towards his home. If he caught his worthless half brother's scent he would drop the kit off at the border of their camp. It never occurred to him that his small companion might want to join the hanyou's party.

Flame followed beside the demon lord with Shippo trotting close beside her. The fact the kitsune was here meant that Inuyasha and Kagome were nearby. Maybe she could borrow some more comfortable clothes from the miko. She and Kagome were fairly close in size from her rough estimations. As she pondered, Shippo was sniffing the air for any sign of his lost pack. To his relief and Sesshomaru's annoyance, Kagome's familiar scent wafted toward them on an errant breeze.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks, same with Shippo. Flame stopped as well, looking from one companion to another. “Kagome's right over there!” Shippo cried excitedly, jumping up in the air and pointing in a bush. Sesshomaru nodded and proceeded to walk away when he suddenly noticed the small female was no longer following him. The giant white canine stopped, looking back at the small human.

Flame shifted nervously, fiddling with her long, black hair. “I would like to talk to Kagome for a moment,” she whispered shyly, looking up at him tentatively. Huffing impatiently, the huge canine laid down to show his boredom. Blushing, Flame followed Shippo into the dense forest. Thankfully the camp wasn't that far from the road. Shippo scampered up to a shocked looking Kagome as soon as they broke through the foliage. Looking around the circle shaped opening, it was fairly obvious that it had been created by Hiraikotsu.

Kagome and Miroku stood in the clearing, staring at her as if she was an alien. Blushing, Flame tugged at her pajama shirt hem. It wasn't hard to notice Miroku leering at her. If Sesshomaru had been here to see it, she was sure he would have growled at the monk. Thankfully, Kagome approached her first. “Hi, I'm Kagome. Are you from my time? Those sure look like modern pajamas,” she remarked, looking her over. Her hazel eyes met Kagome's brown eyes and Flame smiled.

Kagome was just her size like she had thought! Her short, green skirt fell to her mid thigh and fluttered when she moved around. Her white t-shirt barely reach her bellybutton and was accented by a green scarf. Her black hair reached to her waist and her brown eyes were warm and soulful.

“Yes, I'm from your time but I have to hurry. Can I borrow some of your clothes? The way I came here was rather unusual and I have no supplies,” Flame answered quickly, trying to ignore Miroku's wandering eyes.

“Well, I do have some outfits I can lend you but I can't let you go out there by yourself,” replied the other female, brushing back her long black hair.

“I already have a companion. They're waiting for me not far from here. Please, just lend me some jeans, shirt, socks and shoes,” Flame pleaded, anxious that the transformed lord had already left her behind. She was sure Inuyasha would smell Sesshomaru all over her and chase her away. To her relief, Kagome ran off to her huge, yellow pack to dig for the clothes.

Miroku came up to her, his purple monk's robes swishing. Blue sacred beads wrapped around his purple gloved left hand. “Hello my lady,” the purple eye monk purred. Flame froze, blushing deep red as he came up beside her. She knew exactly how this was going to go. With perfect timing, Kagome came back with the requested garments.

“Thank you!” Flame exclaimed bowing. She grabbed the clothes and ran back to the waiting lord. The sharp sticks and pine needles dug into her feet as she ran. She ignored the pain until she broke from the forest. She looked where she had last seen the western lord and saw him staring back at her. Relieved, Flame hunched over bracing herself on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She had a huge stitch in her side that made it hard. She heard leaves rustling as the giant dog staggered to his feet.

Flame straightened, still panting harshly as he walked over to her. He stared down at her as she tried to slow her breathing. “I'll be fine. Just give me a moment to change and we can go,” she stated between breaths. The only response given was a brief nod. Rolling her eyes, Flame trotted into the forest to change.

She came out dressed in a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers. She held her pajamas under one arm and smiled at the bored looking taiyoukai. He looked at her new attire curiously for a moment, then began to walk down the 'road' again. Flame was thankful that Kagome hadn't followed her. It had briefly crossed her mind to stay with Inuyasha's group but her curiosity drove her to travel with the canine royal. There was also the fact that Inuyasha would be suspicious of her because of Sesshomaru's scent being all over her. It was in her best interests to stay with the transformed lord for now.

It didn't take long for both of them to come to the conclusion that it would be much faster for both of them if she rode on the proud taiyoukai. With a prolonged look of annoyance, the gigantic beast laid down to allow her to clamber on his back. As gently as she could, Flame climbed up his neck ruff until she reached the top of his back. Once she was settled into the large expanse of fluff, Sesshomaru bolted off toward his palace.

Flame clung to the long, white strands of fur as she was gently rocked back and forth by the galloping dog youkai. Soon the warmth and motion of the trip lulled her into a deep sleep. It only seemed like a few minutes later when she was jolted awake by the impatient beast poking her. Blearily she looked around to realize the sun was setting. Rubbing her eyes, the small female slid off Sesshomaru's back to land on the ground. Once she could see clearly, Flame began to gather bits of wood for a fire.

While she was gathering wood, she was thrilled to notice there was a hot spring nearby. She would be able to take a much needed bath. Smiling, she piled the wood in the middle of the clearing. Sesshomaru struck two of his claws together to create a spark for a fire. Flame tended the fire until it was going well, not noticing that Sesshomaru had lumbered off into the forest. When she did notice, she figured he was hunting for dinner.

She took the time to go to the nearby hot spring. She stripped off her clothes, shivering in the cold twilight air. Quickly, the shaking human climbed into the hot water, sighing in content. Flame could feel her muscles relaxing as the hot water enveloped her aching body. As she soaked, she heard crashing which told her it was likely the dog demon had returned.

Figuring he would be worried that she wasn't there she yelled, “I'm in the hot spring!” as loud as she could. She heard a loud wuff which she assumed meant he had heard her. With a small smile, she went back to soaking.

When she was done, she climbed out of the water and threw on her pajamas. Carrying back her clothes, Flame smelled cooking meat on the night air. Her stomach growled loudly as the delicious smell became stronger. Flame trotted into the clearing, setting down her clothes and sitting by the fire. The giant youkai shifted and looked at her. He made impatient noises while standing to his feet.

“Is the meat done?” Flame asked, trying to gauge the hunks of meat on the sticks. Sesshomaru nodded, gesturing with a paw to go ahead. Eagerly, Flame snatched a steaming kabob from the fire. She blew on the simmering meat until it was cool enough to eat. Gingerly, the petite female bit into a steaming hunk of mystery meat. Whatever it was, was delicious and juicy.

Famished, Flame scarfed down the three small hunks on the small wooden stick. She looked at Sesshomaru for approval, Flame gestured to the other three sticks. The huge, white dog nodded and stretched. With vigor, the hungry woman tore into the remaining kabobs until there was nothing left. Finally full, Flame sighed contently and leaned back to gaze at the stars. As she gazed up at the distant lights in the sky, she heard a soft woof to her right. Turning her head, she saw the transformed taiyoukai staring at her.

“Do you want something?” she asked, looking back up at the sky. A soft woof was her only answer.

“I suppose you're very curious about me still. There must be so many questions you want to ask,” she murmured. Another woof in confirmation.

“Would you like to hear about how we came to be from your time?” she asked. A slightly more enthusiastic woof was the reply.

Taking a deep breath Flame recited everything she had learned in history class. She was sure she had forgotten a few things but she did the best she could. The night was was late by the time she had finished talking. “There is no evidence of demons in my time. If there are any left, they've hidden themselves well.” Sesshomaru stared ahead as this last sentence finished.

His crimson eyes were wide and troubled by everything he had heard. Did he exist in her time? What about Rin's bloodline? Would his half brother live long enough to be in the future? These questions and more buzzed around in the great demon's head. He would have to be sure he would exist in the future. Staring at the moon, Sesshomaru vowed to also watch over Rin's bloodline while he lived. As he was lost in thought, Flame had curled up close to the guttering fire.

The black haired woman sensed the taiyoukai was troubled, deciding to lay down to try to rest. The night stretched on as the fire burned down. Flame found herself staring at the lengthening shadows, as her tired eyes began to droop shut. She was dimly aware of Sesshomaru standing and looking towards her before she slipped into sleep.

The great dog youkai stared at the mysterious woman, wondering what to do. The things she said rocked him deep in his very core. He felt an urge to hunt, to run, to taste blood. Growling quietly to himself Sesshomaru entered the forest, beginning to run into the dense growth. He was dimly aware of knocking aside trees as he galloped by. His blood burned within him as his fear awakened sleeping instincts that had been long dormant. Suddenly Sesshomaru was lost in a red fog as his wild beast let out a bloodcurdling howl.

Flame bolted upright, clutching her pajama top in a fist. What was that?! Where was Sesshomaru? Had that horrible noise been made by the stoic youkai? Had what she said driven him mad? Was she now stuck on her own? Frantically, the panicked woman looked around as she sat up. What would she do if she had been abandoned? Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to tell Sesshomaru that no youkai were around.

Darkness and silence greeted her as the fire burned down to glowing coals. Her straining eyes were fighting to see in the intense darkness. Nothing moved in the forest. Eyes wide with fear, Flame curled up in a shaking ball. “Sesshomaru?” she whispered hoarsely, almost hoping to not hear a reply. To her deep horror, she heard a deep growl in reply. Making a squeaking noise, she curled up even tighter. Was he hunting her? Another growl came from a much closer spot, reinforcing her fears. What was going on? Was she going to die tonight because of her sharing too much information? Her eyes widened even more as the giant white dog stalked into the clearing. His crimson gaze pinned her in place as his upper lip lifted. Flame hunched up as Sesshomaru hunkered to the ground, seeming to prepare to pounce on her. “Sesshomaru... please,” she whimpered. This seemed to cause him to pause, as if seeming to remember something distant. He growled as he shook his head, trying to come back to himself.


	3. Youkai Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This should keep you guys content for the time being. From here on I'll be uploading a chapter as I feel like it. It will be updated often as the fic is already finished. I just wanna focus on 'Midnight Roses' and 'Tainted Love' for now. This is more of a side project.

Sesshomaru was quickly losing the battle with himself as he began growling at his shaking ward. His rationality left him slowly as his beast surfaced. The fear that wafted towards him was exquisite. Growling deep in his chest, the towering canid stalked towards the human emitting the smell. Snarling, the huge creature licked its lips. The tiny female in front of him would be the first human he had eaten in decades.

Sesshomaru was definitely not himself. It was looking more and more like she was going to be dinner for the now feral looking youkai. In one last, desperate attempt to bring him back to himself, Flame began to pet the huge, snarling muzzle of the white beast. His eyes flickered briefly, no longer snarling he shook his head. His eyes kept flipping between intelligent and feral as a mental fight took place.

His beast didn't want to be caged again. It wasn't fair that it couldn't control the form that was rightfully its. Its stoic jailer had no right to restrain it but Sesshomaru wasn't going to give up. The white canine staggered back as the two personalities battled in his mind. As he collapsed from the strain, Flame got to her feet and began to cautiously approach him.

The young, black haired woman was more frightened than she had been when she first met Sesshomaru. At least then he had been in complete control of himself. She walked slowly toward the growling, twitching giant dog until she was an arm's length away from him. Gingerly, the shaking female reached a hand forward until she touched his huge ribs. When he didn't immediately eat her, she was encouraged to gently pet him to try to soothe him. Whatever was happening was obviously distressing to the taiyoukai.

At her touch, Sesshomaru's huge, fur covered body froze for a few minutes then relaxed. His breathing evened and he finally stopped snarling and thrashing. His more civilized side had finally managed to wrestle his beast into submission. The tiny female petting him had distracted it long enough for him to gain control. He let out a warning snort, waited for her to scoot away and rolled to his feet. He looked down at her once he was on his feet. Fear still radiated from the small, shaking human almost making his beast break free again. Maybe it would be best if he left until morning. He turned to go when he heard a small voice say, “Please don't go.”

After everything that had happened that night, Flame felt an indescribable fear when it looked like Sesshomaru was going to leave her. She didn't want him to suddenly relapse while he was gone. What if he never came back? Also she was afraid that some demon might make her dinner while he was gone. The thought crossed her mind that he may snap back into a feral state around her but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

Sesshomaru looked down at the pale, frightened woman. Her fear was going to cause a lot of problems if he stayed. It was a certainty that his beast would break free and kill her. Lowering his head, his crimson orbs met her hazel gaze. He wuffed as apologetically as he could before galloping off into the darkness. No desperate cries of his name met his ears, to his surprise. He kept running until he could no longer smell her, then sat and stared up at the stars. Despite the fact that thinking on what she said caused the problem in the first place, he couldn't help thinking more on the problems of the future.

Flame could only watch as the giant dog ran off into the dark forest. She had been so focused on him, that she didn't notice that the fire was now completely out. Now she realized she was alone in the pitch black, just like the first night she came here. Warm tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook from fear. Her only comfort was that if Sesshomaru snapped again, she would see him coming since he was white. Shaking uncontrollably, Flame curled up by the dead coals of the fire. Her wide eyes stared into the darkness as she tried to calm herself enough to sleep. Time crept by very slowly. Flame's eyes finally began to droop after what seemed like hours of staring into the unforgiving darkness. Yawning, the exhausted female finally fell asleep.

Bright! So bright! Flame grunted in displeasure, rolling over to shield her eyes from the morning sun. Sitting up, she drowsily looked around until memories of last night came flooding back. Hazel eyes opening wide, she looked around the clearing for Sesshomaru. To her immense relief, the still transformed lord sat on the other side of the clearing staring at her. His floppy, white ears were perked forward to show alertness.

Waving to him, Flame gathered her clothes and went into the forest to change out of her pajamas. Soon she came back into the clearing to find that Sesshomaru had gathered some wild fruits while she was asleep. “Thank you Lord Sesshomaru,” she stated before she began eating. Once she was done, Flame looked up into his crimson and blue gaze.

“I wish I could ask you what happened last night,” she mused out loud. Sesshomaru slightly lowered his head at her statement.

“Will it happen again?” she asked. He only stared at her silently in response. She could only guess that it meant he didn't know.

Sesshomaru knew it would probably happen again but he also knew that he couldn't tell the truth. The truth was that this form was rightfully his beast's. The fact that he had taken it over completely made it restless as is. Last night only served to prove that it could take over if it wanted to. Now it would be harder than ever to keep caged. He inwardly winced at the idea of what his beast would do to his new ward. He would just have to keep tighter control on his base instincts from now on. The giant dog lowered himself to the ground so the small, human female could climb onto his back.

Just as Flame was about to climb up his neck fur, Inuyasha burst into the clearing brandishing Tetsusaiga. 'Oh great, he must have caught mine and Sesshomaru's scent when I got these clothes from Kagome,' Flame thought to herself, backing away from the now growling Sesshomaru. The bristling canine got to his feet, baring his huge fangs at his half brother. The hanyou had probably been on their trail since yesterday. Not far behind him was Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and an untransformed Kilala. The silver haired half demon snarled at his brother, pointing his huge katana at the giant dog.

“Sesshomaru, let this girl go!” he yelled, his white, pointy ears laid back against his head.

Flame blinked at this statement as everyone in the opposing group readied their weapons. Did they all think Sesshomaru was holding her against her will? She moved forward to explain before she was stopped by a huge, white paw. Sesshomaru was looking back at her intensely, his message clear. 'Stay back!'

“Lord Sesshomaru, its just a misunderstanding. Let me...,” she started but was interrupted by his low growling which was directed at the hanyou. The fur on his back was standing on end and strings of drool dripped from his snarling lips. It looked like his beast was slipping loose of its chains again.

Inuyasha smirked, raising his sword over his head. “Fine, you want it the hard way you got it! Get out of the way woman!” he yelled, preparing to use the Wind Scar. Sesshomaru's pupils dilated as he recognized what his half brother was going to do. It was the last straw. With a roar, the raging dog youkai sprang forward, intent on killing the hanyou. Gasping, Flame started running towards the group. Maybe she could get Kagome to see this was all a mistake. Maybe if Inuyasha was called off Sesshomaru would return to normal.

Sango, dressed in her black and pink slayer armor, flung her giant bone boomerang at the huge dog demon that was currently doing its best to rip apart Inuyasha. Hiraikotsu merely bounced off the giant canine's back but it did cause him to jump back. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, swinging his giant katana down with a cry of “Wind Scar!” Five beams of light moved along the ground towards the snarling Sesshomaru at a speed much faster than the eye can follow. Sesshomaru jumped out of the way, daring his brother to try again with his smoldering gaze.

As this was going on, Flame ran as fast as she could, hoping she could make it before either or both brothers were killed. Thankfully it didn't look like Miroku was going to unleash his Wind Tunnel. As the two brothers clashed in the background, Flame finally reached Kagome and the others. Kagome smiled kindly at the panting female. “You're okay now. Just stay back and let us help,” Kagome comforted, readying an arrow.

“No, please. Its a mistake,” Flame wheezed out. She definitely had to exercise more once this was all over.

“Mistake? What do you mean?” Kagome asked, lowering her bow. The others, overhearing the conversation, turned to face the two women.

“I'll explain more later, I promise. Just stop the fighting!” Flame panted, still trying to catch her breath.

Kagome turned back to see Sesshomaru dodging another Wind Scar and leaping at Inuyasha. “Inuyasha! Sit boy!” she yelled. With a gerking noise, Inuyasha slammed into the ground hard. Sesshomaru sailed over him, looking confused but landed gracefully. He turned toward the indisposed hanyou, still bristling but no longer growling. The giant dog seemed to look around before seeing Flame with Inuyasha's group. Immediately he began snarling loudly and stalking towards them.

'Well isn't this a fine kettle of fish,' Flame thought to herself as she became aware of a very angry dog youkai coming towards them. With her hands open and held to her sides to show she was harmless, Flame cautiously began to move towards Sesshomaru.

The giant dog stopped moving, staring down at the female coming towards him. Still snarling, he lowered his head to sniff at her. There was no smell of fear this time and the others had stopped attacking him. Slowly, the snarling tapered off as Sesshomaru's civilized side regained control over the beast. Then, just like that, he was back to normal. Snorting at his half brother in annoyance, Sesshomaru walked toward Flame, stopping when he was beside her.

“I promised to explain to Kagome what's going on. Why don't you restrain Inuyasha so I can do that?” Flame offered. Nodding, the roughly ten story tall canine gently placed a huge paw on the still stunned hanyou. Flame took the opportunity to gather the others around where Inuyasha was still indisposed. Once everyone had been gathered, Flame went into a long explanation of her first night and day in the feudal era. When she reached the part about why Sesshomaru was in his dog form, she looked at him for permission to continue.

Sesshomaru had been dreading this part. He nodded reluctantly, fully ready to never live it down. His half brother would never let him hear the end of it. In fact Inuyasha had been surprisingly quiet while Flame told her story. Normally, the hot blooded hanyou would be screaming by now as well as brandishing his sword.

When Flame finished explaining, Shippo began rolling around laughing and kicking his fox feet. The other three were trying their best not to laugh but failing horribly and Inuyasha was laughing outright under Sesshomaru's giant paw. “You idiot! You let yourself get bitten by a Youkai Spider! You'll be stuck like that for a week!” laughed the amused hanyou. Sesshomaru only growled pressing down lightly in warning.

“I think you can let him up now, Lord Sesshomaru,” Flame suggested.

“Yeah, you idiot!” piped Inuyasha.

Reluctantly, Sesshomaru let him up. The hanyou was immediately pointing and laughing at him as soon as he was out of the hole. Sesshomaru wished he could just eat the hanyou and have done with it. Thankfully, Inuyasha's wench didn't seem to appreciate his laughing either. “Sit boy!” rang across the clearing as did the sound of him cratering into the ground. The giant dog chuckled quietly at his half brother's prone body.

Kagome seemed relieved by the explanation. “I would have never thought Sesshomaru would willingly protect a human woman,” she mused to herself.

“Well there is that little girl who travels with him,” Miroku reminded her.

“And that little toad that follows him around,” Shippo offered.

“Well we should get going now, we probably have a long way to travel,” Flame interrupted.

The group turned towards Flame and Sesshomaru. Flame smiled and waved to them as Inuyasha picked himself out of the crater he was in. Everyone except the irritable half demon waved to her and said goodbye. Then the two of them walked into the woods. Once they were out of seeing range, Sesshomaru lowered himself to allow the human on his back. Carefully, Flame climbed up his neck fur until she was on his back. Then they were off and running towards his lands.

“I'm sorry about that,” Flame stated as they rushed along. Sesshomaru only snorted in response. He understood why she did it but it would be a long time before Inuyasha forgot. Flame decided not to push it, staying silent. After a long time of running, she fell asleep in his warm fur. She was exhausted from the previous night and this morning's problems only made her more tired.

At sunset, the giant white dog stopped for the night. He reached back to poke the sleeping human with a huge claw. The small human sat up and slid off his back. She was always falling asleep on his back. He waited until she had herself busy with gathering wood, then went off in the woods to hunt.

Once she was done setting up a fire pit, Flame sat and waited. “How am I ever going to get home?” she asked out loud. For the first time since she came here the possibility she might never get home came to mind. It was still a mystery how she even ended up here. Three days ago she thought this place didn't exist. Hot tears began to fill her eyes, rolling slowly down her cheeks. She might never see her friends or family again. The thought filled her with despair and Flame began to cry in earnest. Placing her head on her knees, she wrapped her arms around her legs and sobbed quietly.

Sesshomaru came back with a freshly butchered boar. He had gutted and cut the pig up to spare the small woman seeing the gory process. He somehow doubted the human would have wanted to see it. As he broke through the foliage into the clearing the smell of salt water hit his nose. The human female was crying by the roaring fire she had built. Dropping the boar by the fire, the giant dog sat beside the sobbing female.

Flame vaguely sensed someone beside her. Taking a shaky breath, the small female made herself stop crying. Wiping her eyes, she looked up into the white canid's concerned, crimson gaze. “I'm okay, let's eat,” she said with false cheerfulness. She gathered the butchered pieces of meat and put the on sticks that had been made into skewers. Then she place the meat over the fire. Now it was just a question of waiting.

Sesshomaru watched her silently. It was possible that she was homesick. There was nothing he could do for her; not that he would let her go home until he had some answers. He sighed, laying down to wait for the meat to be done cooking. He may actually eat tonight, it had been months since he last ate.

After dinner, the two of them sat in silence and star gazed. Flame had to admit the quiet, clear night air was beautiful. She could see all the stars in the sky unlike in her time. Still, she wished Sesshomaru could talk. She sighed and leaned back, gazing up at the Milky Way. A cool breeze blew past her making her shiver. As she rubbed her pajama clad arms, she felt him wrap his tail around her. Smiling up at him she said, “Thanks.”

Sesshomaru looked down at his new ward passively. She was slowly beginning to grow on him and he didn't know how to feel about it. He felt a duty to protect her, to make sure she had everything she needed. As he came to this realization he glared into the darkness. This was his father's fault. His family had a predisposition to be drawn to humans with him being the exception. Yet now he found himself falling into the same trap his father and half brother had. He shook his head, denying everything he felt. He would not become seduced by this human. She was merely a curiosity he kept around. As she curled up against him to go to sleep, he found himself covering her with his tail to keep her warm. As she slept, he vowed to stop this infatuation before it got too far.


	4. Kidnap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!: There is a scene that comes really close to rape in this chapter. If this offends you, feel free to skip the scene or this chapter altogether.

Flame awoke to being jostled by Sesshomaru's muzzle. Waving him off, she grabbed her clothes and went into the woods to change. As she finished putting on her clothes, she heard a twig snap nearby. Startled, she began to back towards the clearing until she bumped into something. Suddenly a clawed hand was on her mouth and she was picked up. She turned her head to see a huge ogre demon leering at her. Then he was running with her clutched to him. All she could think was, 'Where is Sesshomaru?'

Sesshomaru suddenly caught a faint whiff of ogre. He sprinted into the woods only to find his human gone. Growling deep in his chest, the giant dog ran after the ogre with blood-lust on his mind. No one stole from him, not even a human female. When he caught the demon, he would make sure he paid dearly. Then, with no warning, the scent disappeared. Sesshomaru immediately stopped, trying to sniff the air for any sign. The other youkai was concealing himself. Snarling in frustration, Sesshomaru tried to sense for any youki.

The ogre carried the small female far away. He had almost forgotten to mask his scent back there but now he wouldn't have to worry about interruptions. He carried his screaming, scratching prize back to his cave. Flinging her down, he placed a barrier over the cave opening. While he was doing that, Flame was backing away from the monster as far back as the small chamber allowed. She was going to be food for this demon!

Sesshomaru grew frustrated, thrashing out at the foliage around him. There was no sign of the demon or any scent to follow. The beast could be eating his curiosity. Snarling loudly, he kept running in the direction the demon had been heading. He hoped that it was stupid enough to go in a straight line.

Flame looked around the huge, stone chamber for anything she could use to defend herself. There wasn't so much as a pebble. The huge, red ogre turned toward her, grinning evilly. “You're going to make an interesting toy. Then you'll make a delicious meal,” he grunted, chuckling darkly. Flame started shaking as he began to come towards her with his claws extended towards her.

“If you don't struggle it won't hurt as much but it won't be as much fun for me,” the ogre growled, licking his lips, an erection tenting his brown loin cloth. 'Oh god no,' Flame's mind screamed.

She was on her feet, circling the demon. The demon followed her, a perverted grin on his face. There was no way she was going to escape this but there was also no way she wasn't going to put up a fight. Suddenly the ogre pounced on her, pinning her to the cold, stone floor. Using one hand to hold both her wrists, he used the other to fondle her breast. Flame screamed loudly at the unauthorized touch and tried to buck him off her.

This only made him chuckle as he ripped off her shirt. As his claws began playing with her nipple, brushing her bra aside, she found herself hysterically thinking , “Oh great. Where am I going to get another shirt?' She screamed even louder, twisting under him. The worst thing was her body was beginning to betray her. She could feel the beginnings of arousal. “Get the fuck off me!” she screamed, bucking violently.

“My, quite a mouth you have my dear,” he hissed, licking her cheek with his slimy tongue. The terrified female screamed loudly, trying to wrench her head out of reach. Tears began to fill her vision as she realized that she was going to get raped and there was nothing she could do to stop it. “Sesshomaru!!!” she screamed as loud as she could while the demon began to lap at her nipple with his vile tongue.

Sesshomaru halted, his ear perked forward. He could have sworn he had heard his new ward's voice screaming his name. He stood as still as he could, straining his ears, hoping she would scream again. Several minutes passed of silence. He was just about to give up hope when he heard her scream again very faintly. With a small growl he ran off in the direction the scream came from. 'Keep screaming woman,' he thought to himself as he galloped.

Flame was now in full hysterics, screaming loudly for Sesshomaru or help as the demon continued to violate her body. The beast was enjoying her anguish as he teased her small body into arousal. “Your anguish and fear are exquisite my dear,” he growled as his clawed hand moved lower down her body. His hand slid down her side, stopping at the hem of her pants. He watched her face as he ripped her pants from her body, leaving her in only her bra and panties. The small female was now sobbing and fighting as hard as she could.

“Please, please don't rape me,” she sobbed, trying to free her wrists from his grasp.

“You're not in the position to be asking favors,” the ogre hissed, his eyes narrowing.

“Oh god Sesshomaru help me!!” she screamed as loud as she could, only earning more chuckling from her tormentor.

Her screams were getting more and more desperate the closer he got, driving him to run faster. He had to get to his new companion before the ogre disposed of her. That wasn't all. The beast was going to violate her by the sounds of it. The very thought caused his beast to rage. Rape was the most vile act anyone could do and he would prevent it. With a roar, he leapt up the mountainside to the barrier blocked cave.

The ogre halted, his hand freezing on the hem of her panties. The red beast sneered at the giant dog demon that was outside. Flame saw Sesshomaru too and began to sob in relief. “Lord Sesshomaru,” she gasped. The ogre glared at her, then glanced back at the snarling canine.

“You can try to save her all you want pup, but you will never break my barrier,” the monster barked out before ripping off the female's panties. Flame tried desperately to curl up and hide herself but the beast had her pinned too tight.

Outside, the outraged youkai lord roared and slammed his huge body into the barrier. A purple barrier appeared, shocking him all over for several moments before he was thrown back several feet. Immediately he was back on his feet and charging again. Again he slammed into the barrier, was shocked for several minutes and was thrown back. Again and again he bashed into the barrier, trying to rescue his human.

The ogre watched, amused, as the giant youkai slammed into the barrier over and over. He turned his attention back to the sobbing woman on the stone floor and grinned. He ripped off her bra, wrapping his mouth around the nipple he hadn't sucked yet. Flame cried out in horror as he sucked her flesh, earning a loud roar of rage from Sesshomaru. Slowly, the demon's clawed hand moved to her vagina, rubbing the outer lips.

As he saw the ogre touch his human's genitals and his vision went blood red. With a loud roar of fury, he charged into the barrier with everything he had. The barrier began to shock him more harshly as he began to break through. Snarling he dug his paws into the ground, refusing to be thrown back this time.

The ogre stopped everything as he noticed the taiyoukai was actually breaking through. Eyes going wide, he backed up off the small female, allowing her to curl up into a ball to hide her nudity. Flame sobbed and shook as the full impact of what almost happened hit her. Her heartbroken sobs seemed only to drive the enraged youkai to greater lengths to get to her. The ogre was beginning to regret his decision to grab the small human as the large dog got his muzzle through the barrier.

Sesshomaru's beast was now in charge as he slowly entered the cave. The barrier was trying to repel him to no avail. Snarls were ripping from his chest as his front half entered the cave. The ogre demon's look of terror made him happy. He would truly enjoy tasting this filth's blood. The sight of his ward curled in a ball and sobbing drove him to push harder to enter the cave. Finally he broke through the barrier, the purple wall breaking behind him. His crimson eyes rested on the cowering demon.

The ogre backed away from the gigantic canine until his back hit the wall. The huge demon stalked him, snarling loudly. With his red eyes flashing, the giant white dog leapt at the ogre and gripped him in his fang filled mouth. The ogre screamed as he was shaken back and forth like a toy. Blood spurted from his mouth as the giant teeth broke through his skin and punctured his guts.

Sesshomaru dropped the dead and bleeding demon, then went to his sobbing ward. His beast faded willingly, sensing his human needed his civilized side. Gently, he picked the naked human up with a paw and placed her in his neck fur. He had to find his half brother's wench. He didn't want his ward to freeze or be any more traumatized. He ran out of the cave and off toward where he could smell the group. He hoped that the idiot hanyou would be peaceful about it.

Flame practically buried herself in the fur to hide her naked body. The small female was shaking as the cold breeze hit her despite the fur. Sesshomaru growled softly as if to assure her she would be okay as he galloped through the forest. If she didn't know better, it seemed that he was heading somewhere. Still crying silently, she snuggled deeper into his fur to hide.

Smelling the salt, the huge dog looked back at his ward with unusually soft eyes. She was trying to hard to hide her anguish from him. She was being so strong after what had happened. He was determined to protect her now. She was his human, his prize from the future. Once he had his human form, the things he could learn from her would be invaluable. Suddenly he stopped as he reached where his brother's camp was.

Kagome heard soft whimpers coming from the forest. Her brown eyes scanning the forest, the young miko grabbed her bow and quiver. Whatever was making the noise sounded hurt. She decided to grab her backpack as well. “Sango, Miroku I'm going in the woods. I think I hear a wounded animal,” she stated to her two companions. Shippo looked up at his adopted mother, shrugged and went back to eating a piece of fish.

“Be careful Kagome,” Sango replied, readying her huge bone boomerang. Miroku nodded to show that he was also ready to help her in case of trouble. Kagome nodded back and sprinted into the forest. Inuyasha was off hunting and she was hoping to find the animal before he got back. Knowing the hanyou, he would probably scare it off by swinging his sword around.

Rolling her brown eyes, the green skirted female broke from the forest to be face to face with Sesshomaru. Kagome immediately readied her bow but was surprised when the huge demon merely laid down and whimpered. Something had to be terribly wrong with him to be making those noises. Cautiously, Kagome moved towards the whimpering dog demon. As she got closer, he went quiet and began to slowly wag his tail to show he meant no harm.

The stunned miko lowered her bow completely. The huge dog didn't seem to be injured but he was clearly making a show of not being a threat. “What on earth is going on Sesshomaru?” she asked, confused. The giant youkai twitched his ears back and motioned to his neck fur with his head. Kagome moved to his side, looking up to try to see what was up there. She could faintly make out quiet sobbing. 'Something must have happened to Flame!' Kagome thought with a jolt.

“Sesshomaru, can you please put me up there?” she asked. The giant western lord lifted her with a paw, placing her on his back.

“Flame? Are you in there? What happened?” the miko asked the mass of white fur quietly.

“Kagome? I was kidnapped and almost raped by an orc demon. It.... it tore all of my clothes. E-even m-my...” Flame started but broke off into a sob.

“Hey, its okay. I have some extra stuff. Even some unopened underwear. Are you hurt or anything?” Kagome asked, rifling through her pack, concern on her face. The poor woman must be traumatized. Finally Kagome pulled out a green t-shirt, blue jeans and a few undergarments from bags. Gingerly, the young miko handed the other female the clothes through the fur.

“No, I'm not hurt. Thank you Kagome,” sniffled the sobbing woman. The fur rustled and moved as she got dressed beneath it. Once she was clothed Flame shot out of the fur and clung to Kagome, sobbing.

“Shhh, you're safe. Its okay,” Kagome soothed, petting the other girl's hair. Flame sobbed and sobbed until she had no more tears. Yet she was still shaking and wailing her fear and anguish. Sesshomaru was rumbling gently to try to soothe the small female. Finally Flame calmed enough to pull away from Kagome.

“Th-thank you Kagome,” she sniffled, wiping her wet eyes.

“Are you going to be okay?” asked Kagome.

“I don't know,” Flame remarked, heaving a watery sigh. Kagome gave her a tight hug before sliding off Sesshomaru's fur covered back.

“You take care of her Sesshomaru,” the miko admonished before going back into the woods to find her group again.

Once Kagome was gone, Sesshomaru made a concerned whimpering noise. “I'm okay Lord Sesshomaru. Let's just go okay?” she asked burying herself in his neck fur. Sesshomaru made one more concerned noise, then galloped off in the direction of his lands. It would only be a few more days of travel to reach his castle and by then he should be back to his normal form. Right now he was worried about his charge who was shuddering in his fur. He had a feeling she was more damaged from that experience than he thought.

When the giant canine stopped for the night, Flame slid off his back. “I'm going to look for a hot spring,” she murmured, looking at the ground. Sesshomaru was by her side as soon as those words left her mouth. Flame smiled, absentmindedly petting his furry foreleg.

“Thank you for coming Lord Sesshomaru,” she whispered. Then she stumbled into the forest like a zombie. Sesshomaru followed her, looking at her in concern. She seemed hollow, almost disconnected from everything. Gently he nudged her with his muzzle, looking into her haunted, hazel eyes.

“Really, I'll be okay,” Flame replied, smiling weakly. Sesshomaru huffed skeptically and made a concerned noise. Flame only shook her head, turning back to her search. Thankfully she didn't have to go far. Sesshomaru respectfully turned his back but didn't go far from the spring. He had a feeling she wanted him near. He had no idea why he was showing this much concern and feeling toward the human but his beast wouldn't hear of him leaving now.

Somehow, without realizing it, his beast had been impressed by the small female. She never seemed to run from him when his feral side was in charge. His beast now considered the female his and wasn't going to let her fall into trouble again. As he watched the woods, the small woman got undressed and slipped into the hot spring.

Flame used the harsh sand at the bottom of the spring to scrub herself. She scrubbed until her skin was raw. She scrubbed until she could no longer feel the ogre's disgusting touch on her skin. She scrubbed until she felt clean again. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she silently cried. She was so grateful that Sesshomaru was more compassionate than the anime had made him. She was really glad to have him here right now. With a shuddering sigh, she soaked until her muscles relaxed.

Sesshomaru smelled the salt of her tears and cocked his ears back in concern. For some reason a woman crying really bothered him inside. Probably some defect he had inherited from his father. Much like the defect of becoming attached to humans much like he was getting attached to the female behind him. Frustrated but unwilling to leave her, the conflicted taiyoukai tried to sort out his feelings.

After a long time soaking in the spring, the cried out female got out and got into her pajamas. She was now storing her extra clothes in Sesshomaru's fur and the lord hadn't seemed to mind. In fact she had been doing it for a few days now. Once she was dressed, they both went back to the clearing. Sesshomaru helped to light a fire but decided not to go hunting tonight. Instead he helped her gather various fruits. He watched as she ate, his crimson eyes shining in the firelight. Once she was finished eating, Flame yawned and stretched. She had doubted she could sleep, now she couldn't keep her eyes open. To her relief Sesshomaru curled around her and allowed her to sleep in his fur.


	5. Homesick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such drama, much old. Wow.

Flame's sleep was disturbed by horrifying nightmares about the ogre. Almost all of them ending with the rape being successful. Her whimpering and crying made Sesshomaru very concerned. He wrapped his tail around her and nudged her awake whenever she seemed to be having a particularly bad nightmare. Every time she awoke, she thanked him before passing back out. At this rate the small human wasn't going to have a very restful night.

The next morning, the huge dog youkai decided to let his charge sleep in. She was finally sleeping peacefully after a night of nightmares. Getting her home and safe was very important now. He would have to be more vigilant so she wouldn't have to go through this ever again. The protective lord watched the sleeping female as time passed slowly.

Around noon, Flame finally awoke and stretched. “Why did you let me sleep so late?” she asked rubbed her sleepy eyes. Sesshomaru merely gave her a glance. Flame rubbed her head almost sheepishly.

“I had a lot of nightmares, I know. I still want to get to your castle as soon as I can,” she replied. Grabbing her clothes out of his neck fur, she went into the woods to change. Sesshomaru sat with his back turned, close to the spot she went into the woods. Flame finished changing quickly and came back out.

Sesshomaru glanced down at his ward, trying to apologize. He had to go hunt for food now but he would be sure to be close. He found himself wishing he could reassure her. Growling at himself, the irritated taiyoukai turned and went into the forest.

Flame watched, concerned, as the giant dog walked into the foliage. “Please don't be too long,” she whispered. While he was gone, Flame started a fire to cook whatever he caught. Thankfully it was only a few minutes until the giant white dog came back with a pile of butchered meat on a leaf. Flame skewered the meat, letting it cook.

After they ate, Sesshomaru laid on the ground so the human could climb onto his back. Flame gently climbed onto his neck ruff and settled in. Once she had a good grip, the giant canid ran off towards the west. Only a few more days and they would be at his home. He would be back to normal and he could ask his human all his questions.

Flame rode, looking at the blurred scenery as they ran past it. She found herself enjoying the clean air as well as the pure nature around her. Still she found herself homesick for her bed, her clothes, her friends, her family. She was probably never going to be able to go home ever again. The thought made her both sad and terrified. This world had proven to be quite dangerous. She certainly had no desire to repeat yesterday.

Flame found herself wondering if maybe the powerful demon she was riding on top of might know a way for her to get home. As far as she knew the well was out for her. There had to be another way for her to get home. “Lord Sesshomaru, do you think I will ever be able to go home again,” she asked shyly.

The question almost made him stop in his tracks. His human wanted to go back to the mysterious future she spoke of. He couldn't let her leave until he could ask her questions. No her going home wasn't an option. Besides, even if he wanted to help her, he didn't know how she could get back to her time. The giant white dog settled for shaking his head in reply.

When he shook his head, Flame felt her heart sink. She should have expected as much. Sesshomaru hadn't even thought of the future before she accidentally came here. She still didn't have a clue how she even ended up here. All she wanted right now was to go home. Home, where demons didn't try to rape her at random, where she could get clean clothes, where she could have a real bath. Her heart ached for her family as well. She missed her parents and her close friends. Suddenly it was all too much to bare. “Lord Sesshomaru stop!” she yelled.

Sesshomaru halted and laid down to let her off. He was astonished as well as confused as to why she wanted to stop. Maybe she had to go to the bathroom. Suddenly she ran off into the woods leaving him sitting there for a few minutes in total confusion. Then he was running after her. It didn't take him long to catch her. As he gently pinned her down, he saw her crying almost hysterically. Sesshomaru removed his paw, only looking down at the distraught female. Was this because she missed her home?

Flame sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes before her sobs slowly tapered off. Breathing in watery sighs, she wiped her wet eyes, trying to calm down. “I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru. I don't know what I was thinking. It just hit me that I would never see my family, my friends ever again,” she whimpered between hitching breaths.

Sesshomaru felt an urge to nuzzle and comfort his human. He was disgusted at himself for wanting to comfort her. He couldn't lower himself so far as to actually act like the dog he looked like. Still, her tears had been ripping him apart inside. Every sob had almost made him lick her to comfort her. What was this human doing to him?

After she had composed herself, the dejected female stood up and began to walk back out to the path they had been following. Sesshomaru followed her closely, growling softly in concern. “I won't run off again,” she merely whispered, her head lowered in misery.

Sesshomaru laid down so the female could climb onto his back. He was still worried she was going to run off again but knew they had to move on. He waited until he knew she had a good grip and started running off toward the west.

Flame burrowed into the thick, white neck fur and thought about her life back home. Her family and friends had to be extremely worried by now. Were they searching for her? Did they think she was dead? Even if she could go home, would she cause them to think they had gone insane? These thoughts swarmed in her head along with memories of her life before now.

Back in her time she had been a free-lance artist. She hadn't had many friends but the ones she did have were very supportive and fun. Her family hadn't understood her job but had been supportive as well. Her life had been very simple but happy. Every Friday she and her friends would go to the mall just to walk around. Her parents and her went out to dinner all the time. It had been a happy life.

Now she was stuck in feudal era Japan with no idea of how to get home. The small female was gripped in heart-wrenching homesickness. With a sad sigh, she curled up in his neck fur and watched the forest blur by. The rest of the day went without incident until they stopped for the night. She slid off his back to start a fire while he went a little ways into the forest to hunt. While he was gone, Flame stared at the dancing flames. She found herself remembering a particular day with her friends.

It was a beautiful summer day. A warm breeze blew past her as she walked in downtown Tokyo with four of her best friends. The five females had decided that they wanted to go to the anime district to look around for anything they'd want. All of them shared a deep love of anime and manga. They often had sleep overs where they would stay up all night, just watching anime.

Yumi, a brown haired girl wearing a red t-shirt and jeans, pointed excitedly at a new store. The store had an odd kanji for the sign that only said 'Wishes.' The five friends decided they would go in and check it out. Inside the store had wall to wall anime merchandise. Some pieces the girls hadn't even heard of. They scattered all over the store, paying no mind to the ancient looking man behind the purchase counter.

Flame looked around at the various toys, figures, manga and anime. There was really nothing there that caught her interest until she saw a simple looking necklace with and odd looking fang dangling from a string. 'What's this doing here?' she found herself thinking as she picked it up. Something about the object called to her, practically begging her to buy the necklace. With a nod, she approached the counter, placing the necklace on the wooden surface.

The old man looked from the necklace to her, raised on eyebrow. “This is a fang from a real youkai. It is said to have magical properties,” the man stated. Flame looked at him incredulously, raising her own eyebrow. The man sounded so earnest but it was probably just a gimmick to sell stuff. He probably said something similar about everything in here.

“How much is it?” Flame asked, while her friends still browsed in the background. The old man seemed to look at her almost in an analyzing manner before he answered.

“$20,” he stated simply. Flame nodded, handing him exact change. The ancient man had accepted the cash without a word.

After her and her friends had finished, they left for their respective homes. Once Flame was in her room, she had placed the necklace on her night-stand so she could get read for bed. While her back was turned, the fang briefly gave off a faint blue glow.

Blinking she came back to herself. That had been the day before this all happened. That night she had awoken in the woods. Had the fang been the culprit or was it a coincidence? She supposed she would never find out. As she came out of her memory, she noticed the giant white canine staring down at her. There were hunks of meat on a leaf in front of her and it looked like he had been waiting for her to prepare them. A slight blush coloring her cheeks, Flame skewered the chunks on some sticks. How long had she been daydreaming?

Sesshomaru watched his human as she prepared their meal. She had been in a trance when he came back and she had stayed like that for five minutes. He wondered if she had been thinking and what she had been thinking about. Had she been thinking about running away again? The thought made his inner beast growl. She was his! She wouldn't leave until he wanted her to.

Flame noticed his intense, burning stare as she prepared the meat and tried to shrug it off. Once the sticks had all been set up, she leaned back to wait for them to finish cooking. She was very aware of his eyes following her every move and it unnerved her. It was almost as if he was expecting her to make a break for it again. “Stop staring at me like that. I'm not going anywhere, I promise,” she groused, flinging a stick at him in irritation.

The stick landed well short of where he was sitting much to his amusement. Her words made him relax a bit but he still kept an eye on her. He couldn't let her run away again. Not only could he lose his prize from the future but she could also get hurt. Huffing slightly, he laid down to watch the meat steam and cook.

Once they had finished eating, Flame went into the woods to change into her pajamas. She came out of the woods and stored her clothes in his neck fur. As she was doing this, she felt an urge to pet the giant taiyoukai. She had to be insane! He would kill her if she treated him like a common dog. Still the urge was very strong and he had been so kind to her. Reaching forward with a shaky hand, she gingerly began to rub his side.

Sesshomaru was a bit confused when she didn't move away like usual once she had put her clothes in his fur. He watched her idly, wondering what she was doing. To his surprise he felt her begin to pet him gently. His molten eyes went wide then closed as he laid his head down. Despite the fact that he was angry she was treating him like a dog, it felt good. He rumbled in his chest to show his contentment as she continued to pet him.

Flame smiled as his rumbles vibrated her had. It seemed like the stoic youkai loved to be pet. She wondered if anyone had ever pet his dog form. She doubted it since he only seemed to turn into it when he was pissed off. His fur was remarkably soft and silky beneath her palm. It felt as if he took very good care of this form.

After a few minutes of rubbing him, she stopped and backed off. To her bemusement, the western lord turned his head to glare at her. The message in his eyes was a clear 'Never do that again.' She knew he was just trying to save face because it seemed like he had enjoyed the rubbing very much. Giving him a final pat, she curled up against his side and closed her eyes.


	6. Protection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yet another update for this old fic. The reason why I don't just upload it all at once is I have to copy it from Libre Office and therefore have to re-edit it so it has actual paragraphs. This can be rather time consuming, as you can imagine.

The next morning Flame awoke alone for the first time since she came here. Blinking, she looked around, only seeing that her clothes had been left for her. Wherever he had gone, he was going to be gone a while. Slightly afraid, the pale female got dressed in the bushes. When she came back to the clearing, Sesshomaru still hadn't come back. Maybe something was wrong. She decided to wait a bit longer before trying to find the giant demon.

Five minutes passed until she couldn't stand it any longer. Sesshomaru had never left her alone for this long. Nodding to herself, she circled the clearing. She looked for any sign of which way he had gone in the bushes and trees. Surely something that huge had to leave traces. To her relief she saw a small swatch of white fur on a bush close to the camp. She entered the woods, keeping an eye out for more fur or knocked over trees.

Thankfully plenty of trees had been bumped or had fur caught on their bark. As she followed the trail she heard loud snarling suddenly come from ahead. A pained yelp made her heart jump in her throat. “Lord Sesshomaru!” She cried, breaking into a sprint. It sounded like the taiyoukai was in a fight and losing. As she ran more roars and snarls came from ahead.

Suddenly a tree was falling right at her. As quickly as she could, she rolled out of the way just in time. She broke into a clearing of wrecked trees as she saw Sesshomaru grappling with a huge bear youkai. The hulking, six eyed beast reared up, roaring so loud Flame had to cover her ears. The monstrous, brown ursine swept at the bleeding taiyoukai. Sesshomaru jumped out of the way in barely enough time to avoid another serious injury. Blood poured from several slashes in his white hide. His upper lip was pulled back from his dagger like teeth as the huge canine roared in response.

As she watched, Sesshomaru leapt at the mountain sized bear. The equally huge dog buried his teeth into the beast's thick neck. The bear let out a pained roar loud enough to cause Flame pain. The furious creature threw the dog demon away. Sesshomaru tore a huge chunk of the beast's flesh out as he went. As soon as he landed, the panting youkai dropped the steaming pile of flesh and leapt at the ursine again.

This was a battle to the death and it looked like the bear was overpowering the western lord. Flame brought her hands to her mouth as Sesshomaru was hit away it midair. The mighty taiyoukai was flung back into a group of trees, crashing through them. The large canine gasped and wriggled, trying to regain his breath and get back on his feet. The bear had knocked the wind out of Sesshomaru and incapacitated him temporarily.

Without thinking, the small female ran into the fray, placing herself between the bear and the wheezing lord. She heard Sesshomaru weakly growling at her, trying to get her to stay back. Ignoring him, she stood her ground, making herself seem as big as she could. She hoped she could bluff the giant bear into leaving. She doubt it would work since she felt like a flea compared to the thing.

The mountainous bear youkai growled low, walking towards the two of them. The ground shook as it approached. Flame bravely stood her ground as Sesshomaru's weak growls steadily grew in intensity. She knew he would be able to move in a few moments but she wasn't going to move. Instead she started yelling as loud as she could, clapping her hands hard. She hoped all the nature shows she watched would apply to the beast.

The ursine stopped but only seemed to be watching her instead of intimidated. Flame didn't dare back away and kept clapping and yelling. The bear narrowed its six red eyes and raised a huge, clawed paw. It took everything in her small body not to flinch and stand her ground. It was then that Sesshomaru leapt out of the debris he had been in. The giant canid latched onto the bear's fur covered arm, snarling loudly.

Stupid wench! Why didn't she run?! Did she want to die?! Sesshomaru was absolutely livid with his human. She was risking herself unnecessarily when he had everything under control. Even now she still wasn't running to the woods. She was still standing there. Suddenly he was thrown free again into more trees. The huge canine yelped as he hit the trees hard.

The bear ambled toward the struggling dog on four legs. It growled low in its chest, strings of bloody drool dripping from its jowls. Flame put herself between the raging bear and Sesshomaru. The giant taiyoukai snarled at her, as if to tell her to get away. Flame ignored him, starting to yell and clap her hands. Once again the bear stopped to watch her. The huge ursine seemed confused by her behavior.

After a few moments, it glared at her and the dog demon behind her. It stood, letting out a loud roar before going back on all fours and ambling away. It had enough fighting for one day. Flame let out a breath as it disappeared, only to freeze as she heard Sesshomaru's deep growls. She turned to see the bleeding youkai glaring at her with his blazing red eyes. As she watched he shakily stood to his feet, still glaring at her intensely.

Sesshomaru was pissed! His human had almost gotten herself killed! Growling low in his chest, he approached her in an almost stalking manner. Blood flowed freely from his many wounds as he moved toward her. To her credit, she didn't budge as he came close. Still growling he looked her in the eyes. He used everything he could muster to make his message clear. She was never to do such a fool thing again.

Flame looked at the ground shamefully. She knew it had been foolish but she thought the bear was going to kill Sesshomaru. If her protector died, what would she do? She also hadn't wanted him to get any more hurt than he had been. “I'm sorry. I thought you were going to die,” she whispered. As the words left her mouth the growling stopped. She looked up at him with a weak smile.

“Lets see if we can get you fixed up. Do you know anything about healing herbs?” she asked.

Sesshomaru noticed the female was looking rather dejected. What she had said about him dying made him stop and think. She had been trying to protect him. The thought should have made him rather angry with his small human. Instead he felt strangely touched by the gesture. She had put her life at risk for him out of concern for him. He nodded to her question and led her into the woods.

Flame watched as the huge dog sniffed around. He gingerly plucked and handed her several small leaves and herbs. After a while of gathering, Flame had to make a pile on a huge leaf. The pile was getting bigger than her. She sighed, supposing it made sense since Sesshomaru had so many injuries. Next they gathered several large leaves to make poultices.

Once everything had been gathered, Sesshomaru began to stomp on the pile of herbs. His wounds had stopped bleeding and were beginning to scab over. He was sore all over from the claws cutting his flesh. He kept stomping the leaves until they became a fine paste. Once that was done, he slid a leaf over, smearing some of the fluid onto it. Gingerly, he slid a paw under the coated leaf and laid it over a nasty wound in his shoulder. He hissed slightly as the gunk stung a bit at first but the sting quickly faded.

Flame nodded in understanding, beginning to smear the paste on another large leaf. Sesshomaru laid down to let her apply it, shutting his eyes. The young woman's brow knitted in concern as she gently applied the large, floppy leaf onto a huge gash on his right side. As the fluid made contact with his injured flesh, the giant canid's muscles flinched in pain. Wincing, Flame backed up to look at all the damage. Poor Sesshomaru was in for a long day.

One by one Flame applied the various poultices to his wounds. Every time a new leaf was laid down Sesshomaru would flinch or growl softly. Finally, after two hours, all the wounds were coated in the leaves. Sesshomaru almost looked like he had green stripes from how many leaves were on him. Sighing in relief, Flame looked up at the taiyoukai. Sesshomaru met her gaze evenly, standing to his feet. “Lord Sesshomaru, you're far to injured to go anywhere!” Flame protested.

Sesshomaru looked down at his ward blankly. His wounds would be healed in an hour with these poultices. As it was he was ready to move on. He had spent enough time dallying in these woods. He picked her up with by her shirt, tossing her over his head and onto his back. She had let out a small scream as she flew through the air, making him grin slightly. Once she had settled in, he ran off towards his castle. The galloping youkai went even faster than usual to make up for lost time.

Flame clung to his back for dear life as he ran. What he had done earlier was a dirty trick. If she wasn't sure he would kill her, she would yell at him for tossing her like that. Right now it was all she could do to hang on. The wind beat at her face harshly as Sesshomaru zoomed through the forest at impossible speeds. The small female buried her wind beaten face into his neck fur, hoping to protect it from the cutting wind.

Sesshomaru couldn't keep up the pace and slowed down after an hour of full speed. Slowly the leaves peeled off his hide, showing undamaged fur and skin beneath. He suddenly felt very itchy and wanted to shake off the remaining leaves. With a quiet wuff he lowered himself for his human to get off.

Flame slid gingerly off him, wondering why he had wanted to stop. The daylight was only just beginning to dim so it wasn't time to stop for the night. She got her answer as the huge youkai stood and shook out his fur. She ducked as several leaves flew off Sesshomaru in every direction. To her amazement, he no longer had a scratch on him. Not even a scar. As she stared, he lowered himself to the ground to let her back on.

Sesshomaru stayed still until she had climbed on and was settled. Then he stood and resumed his running. He wasn't going the pace he was but he was still making good time. Tomorrow night they would only be a few hours travel from his main gates. Deep down he was happy to be getting home to Rin. He had been gone for months before he met his companion and had been heading back home. Despite how distant he was with Rin and Jaken, the mighty taiyoukai considered them a part of his pack. It began to dawn on him that he might be starting to accept the small female on his back as a part of his pack.

Flame was grateful he was going a bit slower than before. The winds might not have bothered the youkai but it had felt like knives to her. Sitting firmly in his neck fur, she observed the passing scenery. The forest was beautiful as always. Beams of the setting sun shone through the trees making the forest seem almost ethereal. The woods around them made her think of her own forest back home.

She owned a fairly nice property by a lake and some woods. Her home was fairly modest with a basement and two stories. She lived alone, enjoying the quiet of solitude. Her favorite thing to do was to take a sketchbook into the woods and just draw. The quiet was very soothing to her. Flame often found herself doing her best works out in her lonely forest. But her forest was nothing compared to the majesty around her.

Sesshomaru kept going until the sun had set. Finally he stopped, laying down to let his human slide off his neck. Once she slid off, she grabbed her clothes and went to look for a hot spring. The several story tall canine followed beside her until she found what she was looking for. Sesshomaru turned his back while she undressed and began to bathe.

Flame soaked, lazily looking up at the stars. The sky was so clear she could swear she could see the galaxies out in the darkness. Steam rose up around her as she rested her head on the warm rocks around the spring. “Lord Sesshomaru, what's going to happen to me?” she asked quietly.

Sesshomaru started at the question, almost turning to face her. How could he answer such a question? After a few minutes of silence, the small female asked, “Am I going to stay with you?” She had sounded almost hopeful. He gave a soft wuff in reply. Of course she would stay with him. Once other demon lords heard she was from the future, he would become well respected. Yet deep down he knew he wanted her to stay because he found himself not wanting to let her go.

Flame smiled at the soft wuff, relaxing visibly. She had hoped he wouldn't just abandon her once they reached his palace. She found herself always wanting to be by the taiyoukai's side. She found her crush growing into full blown love. The thought made her stop cold. Love? Sesshomaru would never love her. She was just a human, something the powerful lord hated. Still, if he hated humans so much why was he so kind to Rin? Why was he allowing her to do things he would never have let anyone else do? It was a conundrum and it was making her head hurt. Shaking her head, she got out of the hot spring and changed into her pajamas.

She tapped his back to signal she was done and began to walk back to camp. Once back to camp she started a fire with Sesshomaru's help. She sat, warming her hands while the huge canid stalked off into the forest. She stared into the fire, thinking about her home again. Her hopes for ever getting back were fairly low. Sighing, she closed her eyes to try to remember something about her woods.

It was a cool, spring morning. Birds were chirping as a sweet breeze blew through the tall grass. Flame closed her hazel eyes with a smile as she breathed in the clean air. It was a perfect morning to get some sketches done. Whistling to herself merrily, she went into her home to grab her sketchbook and pencils.

Once she had grabbed these items she skipped out her door, heading toward the forest. Her forest was always quiet. The animals that lived there seemed to have no fear of her, never hesitating to play in close proximity to her. There was a pair of squirrels that especially seemed to love her attention. They seemed fond of running off with her pencils, forcing her to chase them. She hoped the little scamps showed up again today. Still whistling, she sat on a large boulder and began to sketch.

She had only been sketching a few minutes when she heard a soft whimpering somewhere off in the forest. Blinking, she placed her sketchbook and pencils down. She strained to hear the noise again, fearing an animal had gotten hurt. It didn't take long until she heard a faint whimper. She immediately stood up and began moving slowly in the direction the noises came from.

Not too far into the woods she saw a fox pup with its paw caught in a snare. The small cub was whimpering pitifully while tugging at the wire around its right paw. Its little black paw was bleeding and dangling at an odd angle. Afraid the poor kit would hurt itself more, Flame had crouched low to the ground and moved forward slowly.

When she got close enough to help, the fox kit noticed her and hunched away. The small woman made soothing noises as she began to reach for the wire. Thankfully the cub seemed to sense she was trying to help and stayed still. Gently, she tugged the thin wire loose until the bleeding paw was free. As soon as it was free, the small fox limped away into the woods while she watched. Ever since, the little fox and her had become close friends. Sometime he even let her pet him.

With a jolt she came back to herself from nearly being shoved over by Sesshomaru. The mammoth canid stared down at her. “Its okay, I was just think about home,” she remarked bashfully, waving him off. Sesshomaru reluctantly backed off while she prepared the meat. Once the meat was done, Flame ate in silence. She was wondering if her fox friend missed her now.

When she had finished eating, Flame laid on her back to gaze at the stars. The Milky Way stretched above her as she was lost in her thoughts. There were so many things she had left behind. So many things she would never see again. She sighed before deciding she had to let it go. She would never see her home again and she had to make peace with that. She would go insane if she didn't.

Sesshomaru watched her neutrally as she went through a variation of emotions. He moved closer to her, turning his head up to gaze at the stars. The sky was full of millions of the tiny lights. As he stared up at them, he felt the small female snuggle into his fur. He looked down, his crimson gaze meeting her hazel one.

Flame smiled at her white guardian, giving his side a small pat. She nestled into his warm fur and yawned. The emotional roller coaster the last few days had been draining. It wasn't too long until Flame was fast asleep, nestled in his fur. As she slept Sesshomaru watched her. This small human had been full of surprises. Now that she was asleep he could do something he had felt an urge to do all day. Gently, he licked her cheek.


	7. Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!: This chapter has some disturbing scenes that border on rape and bestiality. There is also a rather graphic gore scene involving the food chain.

Flame awoke to a familiar feeling in her gut. She went even more pale, clenching her legs together. Her period was giving its warning signs that it was near. She could only hope that Sesshomaru would change back before then. If she had calculated right, today would be the last day he would be in his dog form. Hoping she wouldn't actively start bleeding until later, Flame quickly grabbed her clothes and bolted into the forest.

Sesshomaru faintly caught a scent that briefly made his vision bleed red. The female was going into heat tonight. It wasn't in full swing yet but it would be soon. Shaking himself, he got to his feet. He hoped that he could keep control until he changed back. If she started her heat while he was in his demon form, he would probably end up doing something they would both regret. Maybe it would be best if she stayed off his back for today but if she walked it would delay them by a full day.

While she was changing, Flame looked around for anything she could use as an emergency pad. Only seeing leaves, the blushing female grabbed a handful to stuff into her panties. “Oh I hope its enough to soak up the blood,” she hissed in worry as she pulled up her jeans. Though the blood wasn't her sole worry. Right now she was most concerned about Sesshomaru and how well he would deal with her period in his current form. She could only assume that since Sesshomaru was a youkai that his sense of smell was very strong. From what she had seen of the show Inuyasha's nose was very sensitive and he was a half demon. Could Sesshomaru smell she was close to her period? She shuddered at the thought as she walked into the clearing.

Sesshomaru had been pacing while she was dressing. His mind was beginning to fog already from her scent. Tenaciously, he clung to his awareness. If his beast gained control now there was no telling what would happen. When he saw her finally enter the clearing, he immediately picked her up and placed her on his back. He didn't wait for her to settle, bolting off as soon as he felt her on his back.

With a small squeak of surprise, Flame grabbed a hold of his thick neck fur to avoid being thrown off by the wind. Something had to be bothering the taiyoukai for him to be in such a hurry. Maybe he could smell what her body was preparing to do. She paled at the thought, clinging tightly to the long, white fur. His pace was so fast that the trees were just a blur as they shot through the forest.

Sesshomaru glared ahead, trying to ignore the scent coming from his back. He thanked whatever deities were watching that she was only in the beginning phase. Red eyes focused with determination, the huge canid sped on. He hoped he could cover enough ground before he had to distance himself from the woman.

Flame was starting to get dizzy from the sheer speeds they were going. Feeling a bit sick, she closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck fur. Now she could only feel the gentle rocking of his body as he ran. With a small sigh, she tried to calm her turning stomach. She wasn't sure how much longer she could withstand the motion or speed.

Sensing his human was feeling sick, Sesshomaru slowed down. He wanted to get closer to his castle but he didn't want to clean vomit out of his fur. “Thank you Lord Sesshomaru,” came a weak, grateful voice from his neck ruff. He gave a soft wuff in return, running at a slower pace.

At around noon he finally stopped to let the small female off his back. Flame slid off his back, almost tempted to kiss the ground. The first part of the journey had been far more rough than she had been expecting. Taking a moment to breathe, color slowly returned to her face as her nausea faded. “That was some ride,” she gasped unsteadily. Sesshomaru looked at her neutrally before trotting in the forest to presumably find lunch.

While he was gone, Flame took the opportunity to look around at where they were. There was more bamboo in this part of the forest. The trees were also spaced further apart. There was surprisingly little other foliage. Small bushes were dotted around the area but not nearly as many as she would have expected. Birds chirped happily while small insects flew in and out of sun beams. This area gave a deep feeling of peace. Closing her eyes, Flame inhaled the sweet, clean air and smiled.

Sesshomaru was beside himself. He had gone as far as he had dared from the female, trying to clear his head. Every hour that passed the scent got stronger, drilling into his brain. His muscles shuddered from the effort of keeping himself under control. He couldn't go back until he had himself under control. Growling in frustration, the mountainous canine looked for anything to vent on. Suddenly his nose caught the scent of a boar demon. Snapping his head up, he ran off in the direction of the scent.

The giant boar turned its four tusks towards the charging dog youkai, bracing itself for impact. Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks, staring at the boar as it snorted. The cloven hoofed beast pawed the ground, lowering its head. Nimbly, Sesshomaru jumped out of the way as the furious demon charged straight at him. The huge boar tried to stop but only ended up slamming into a tree trunk tusks first. Desperately, the large beast tried to tug the stuck tusks out of the wood.

Sesshomaru sneered at the creature, licking his lips with his large tongue. Letting his beast free briefly, he leapt at the boar. Digging his claws into the squealing creature's back, the taiyoukai sunk his teeth into the boar's neck. Hot blood spurted into his maw, satisfying a dark place deep inside him. Tearing the gasping creature free of the bark, the giant dog threw the boar a few feet away from the trees.

Gasping and bleeding heavily, the injured swine staggered to its feet. Sesshomaru pulled his bloody lips back in a gruesome facsimile of a smile before he charged at the staggering boar. With a loud crunch, Sesshomaru's huge jaws clamped down on the creature's throat. Blood spurted from its mouth as it let out one last strangled squeal. As the twitching creature went limp, the giant dog lowered his kill slowly to the ground. Cautiously, Sesshomaru slowly unlocked his blood covered fangs from the boar's crushed neck.

Licking the blood off his lips, the feral youkai looked at his kill. Blood was all over his maw and splattered on his chest, making him a rather gory picture. Crimson eyes shining, the blood covered youkai sunk his fangs into the flesh of the boar. With one swift shake of his head, the giant beast tore a bloody chunk free. A couple bites later, the chunk was gone and he was going back for another. It would only be a matter of moments until the boar was devoured.

While Sesshomaru was hunting the boar, Flame had been cloud watching. Several butterflies floated around her as a gentle breeze blew through the long grass. White, fluffy clouds lazily floated by in the blue sky. She didn't remember the last time she had been so relaxed. With a contented sigh, she tried to spot anything in the clouds.

She had already spotted several animals as well as things from her time. Time almost seemed to crawl by while she waited. Sesshomaru had only been gone a few minutes now but she found herself wondering what he was doing. Suddenly a loud growl came from her stomach, breaking into her thoughts. Right! Food! Looking around, she realized her options were fairly limited.

Deciding to go a bit further into the woods in search of fruits, Flame walked cautiously into the trees. Thankfully there were a few berry bushes not too far from camp. Making her shirt into a basket, the small female picked as many as she could. Once her shirt couldn't hold anymore, Flame went back to the camp. Only when she sat down did she realize she neglected to get a leaf to set the berries on. With a slightly exasperated sigh, the black haired woman began to eat out of her shirt.

When she finished eating she realized her hands were coated in berry juice. That probably meant her face was covered too. Now she would have to find a stream to wash in. Reluctantly, Flame went back into the woods. As she looked for a stream, she made careful note of the trees and plants in the area so she could get back. It only took a few moments for her to hear the welcome sound of running water. Smiling, she ran in the direction of the sound until she saw a swift looking brook. Grateful she had found said brook, Flame washed her hands and face.

Once all traces of the berries were gone from her face and hand, Flame made her careful way back to the camp. As she broke into the clearing, she was surprised to see Sesshomaru still wasn't back. She hoped he didn't get into another fight like yesterday. With a worried look, the worried female sat down to wait. She was sure that if she went looking for him again that he would be furious.

Sesshomaru finally came back to himself as he swallowed the last bit of the boar's flesh. Surveying the skeleton, he came to the realization that he had to be covered in blood. If he went back to his human like this it would probably scare her. Leaving the bones for whatever wanted them, the gore covered canine went off in search of a stream to wash off in. To his relief there was was one not far from where he had killed the boar.

Once he was sure his fur was free of the blood, he stepped out of the brook and shook his wet fur. Water sprayed all over the surrounding trees. Still a bit damp, Sesshomaru made his way back to the camp. The hunt had released a lot of tension but it didn't solve the impending problem. As he broke into the clearing, he noticed the sun was hanging low in the sky. It would be evening soon and it was time to go. With a nod to the female, the giant dog lowered himself to the ground.

Flame was relieved to see Sesshomaru come back unharmed. She briefly wondered why he was wet as she approached him to climb onto his back. Deciding not to ask, the small human climbed onto his back and got a good grip. Thankfully he was nice enough to wait until she had a grip until he sprinted off.

As they ran, Flame felt her back beginning to get sore. Rubbing her lower back, she winced. She knew what this pain meant. Desperately, she clenched her legs together. 'Please body, just a bit longer,' she pleaded in vain. All of a sudden all motion was halted, practically throwing Flame over Sesshomaru's head. Next thing she knew, she was dropped on the ground none too gently and she was watching Sesshomaru retreat into the forest.

At first she was confused. They had only been running for a few minutes before they had stopped again. Then she realized that something warm was trickling down her thigh. 'Shit!' she found herself thinking as she pressed on the crotch of her panties. The leaves were doing little to nothing to steam the flow. Sesshomaru had dropped her off just in time.

Sesshomaru ran as far as he dared. He could still smell her heat even now. Growling, he shook his head. Slowly the memory of the scent faded until the only thing he smelled was her scent faintly on the breeze. It still made his beast yowl for her but not as bad as it would have been if he had stayed. Panting slightly, the shuddering youkai sat down. His red member was already free of his sheath just from the brief moment he had been around her. For her good as well as his, he had to stay away until he was himself again.

Flame kept herself busy as the sun set. Leaves were at least stopping her pants from getting soaked with blood but she would have to change them soon. She had gathered sticks, leaves and fruit for the night. Desperately, she began to try to start a fire as the light around her took on a more orange glow. After a long time of trying various methods of fire-starting, Flame finally got some kindling to catch. Carefully she placed some sticks on it, getting it bigger until it was a full blown fire.

Satisfied, she went back in the woods to look for a hot spring. Because of her current situation, she felt really gross and hoped there was one nearby. Thankfully her luck held out and she stumbled across one a couple feet from camp. With a small smile, she undressed and slipped into the steaming water. She didn't take notice of a strong breeze blowing towards where Sesshomaru had gone.

Sesshomaru was trying to sleep a bit when a strong scent hit his powerful nose. A scent that threatened to make him lose his grip on sanity. Slowly his beast came sliding forward in his mind despite his resistance. His vision kept blinking from red to normal as the smell of his human's heat whirled around him. Every muscle in his body was taught as he fought his beast but the throbbing of his member made it hard for him to maintain focus. He was losing his grip rapidly.

Flame relaxed in the hot spring, gazing up at the stars. All the aches from her situation slowly left her body as she closed her hazel eyes. As she drifted in the warm waters, images of Sesshomaru filled her mind. His amber eyes, normally hard and cold were warm.

In her mind, he reached a clawed, alabaster hand toward her face. Slowly, achingly their face closed in as their lips get dangerously close to kissing. Arousal grips her small body as she slips a small hand over one breast. Her breath comes in pants as arousal shoots through her system. In her mind, dream Sesshomaru was now kissing her deeply while fondling one full breast. As his claws teased her erect nipple, his other hand runs down her side towards her thigh. She moans into the night air, her own hand resting on her sensitive flesh. Her thin fingers played slowly with her plump lips, occasionally flicking her tiny pearl. Suddenly her fantasies were halted as she heard a low growl. Her hands flew to her chest as her blood ran cold. That had sounded like Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru gazed at the small, frightened female. The scent of her fear mixed with her delicious heat only served to drive his mindless lust. Growling low in his throat, the feral lord stalked toward his human. She was standing her ground like before which was a pity. It was so much more fun when they ran. He hunched low to the ground before leaping at her, roaring.

Flame's eyes went wide as Sesshomaru leapt at her. All of a sudden she was thrown into the air to land hard a few feet from the hot spring. Gasping, she tried to regain her breath as Sesshomaru turned and came back towards her. As she sat up, she was suddenly shoved back by a giant, white paw. Eyes filled with terror, the shaking female looked up into Sesshomaru's wild, red gaze.

Slowly, he moved his paw to pin her arms so she was bared to his blazing gaze. Flame whimpered in fear as flashbacks of the orc filled her mind. This couldn't be happening! As she watched, he lowered his head to sniff her. His nostrils flared and his eyes closed in pleasure as he breathed deeply. Then, to her further horror, he started to slip his jagged tongue out of his mouth. Almost in slow motion, the dripping appendage came towards her breasts.

Flame grit her teeth and turned her head as the large, warm, wet tongue slowly lapped up her body. As he pulled away, the huge demon made a low noise of pleasure. That was when she noticed his titanic, red, canine member. “NO!” she screamed, trying to struggle free of his paw. If he tried to use that on her, she would literally be split in half! Unfortunately her struggles only served to inflame the aroused youkai more. His paw tightened as he looked her in the eyes. Giving her a warning glare, he moved his head above her femininity. Once again his tongue began to protrude.

Understanding flashed in Flame's eyes making her struggle anew. Not like this! She didn't want it to be like this! “Lord Sesshomaru please!” she sobbed, trying to pull free. He only snorted slowly moving his tongue closer to her folds. Trying to pull back, Flame closed her tear-filled eyes and waited. As the last light of the day faded his tongue touched her folds briefly, then there was a blinding flash.

As she blinked, she noticed the weight on her arms was a lot lighter. With shock she saw a fully clothed Sesshomaru blinking at her from the junction of her legs. Slowly, the western lord released her arms and sat up. Without a word, he stood and left her. Flame sat up, shaking wildly. She could still feel the wetness of his tongue against her womanhood.

Still shaking, the frightened female pulled her pajamas on. At least Sesshomaru had been kind enough to leave them. Carefully, she replaced her leaves and went back into the clearing. She couldn't look at the standing lord as she sat by the fire. She knew he had been out of his mind then but the thought didn't comfort her.

Sesshomaru's amber eyes rested on the now fearful female. Her scent still effected him but not nearly as strongly. He was disgusted with himself for what had happened. He should have had better control over himself. He didn't want her to be afraid of him and had been happy she had come back. With an inaudible sigh, he sat on the opposite side of the fire. “I'm sorry woman,” he whispered, almost too quiet to hear. He was only greeted with silence.


	8. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: It's that time again! Please remember this fic is not the best example of my work as it's old.

Flame had slept alone that night, grateful that Sesshomaru had given her the distance she needed. She had spent a long time mulling over what happened as well as the apology. As far as she knew, Sesshomaru had never apologized to anyone. The fact that he had apologized weighed on her mind. As her eyes opened, she decided to forgive him. It had almost gone too far but it hadn't. It was fairly obvious the taiyoukai hadn't been in his right mind.

Sitting up, she was greeted with the sight of several fruits as well as cooked meat. It was almost as if he was trying to make up for what happened. Smiling she looked around, her eyes finally finding the tall youkai. He was even more handsome than she had remembered. She almost caught herself drooling despite last night.

He was dressed in his usual red and white kimono. His armor rested over his left shoulder while his long, fluffy tail curled around his right. His waist length silver hair gave him an air of regality. Magenta stripes adorned his cheeks, red eyeshadow marked his eyes and a blue crescent moon rested in the middle of his forehead. Altogether his six foot six frame was an impressive figure. Flame had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping. He was like an alabaster skinned god. It almost made her wonder why she didn't want him to fuck her last night.

A slight blush on her cheeks, Flame looked away from the handsome youkai. Where had THAT thought come from?! A little shocked at herself, the embarrassed woman avoided Sesshomaru's neutral gaze. She could feel his amber eyes boring into her. He was probably confused by her behavior. This thought in mind, Flame swallowed and straightened. “I'm ready to go when you are,” she stated, her hazel eyes meeting his amber gaze.

Clenching his only hand, Sesshomaru clenched his teeth and nodded. Her heat scent was getting stronger and stronger by the moment. It took every ounce of his control to keep his feral side in control. Closing his intense eyes, the stoic looking lord formed a demon cloud underneath his booted feet. He motioned with his right and only hand to his companion.

Flame felt a heat rush through her body as he gestured to her to get on the cloud. She would have to stand so close! The thought of it made a wave of arousal rush through her. Would Sesshomaru be able to maintain control with her in heat and so close? Shaking slightly, she stepped onto the cloud. Sesshomaru was stiff as a board beside her as he held her to his right side. His eyes were faintly tinged red and his jaw was clenched in concentration.

Sesshomaru could clearly smell her arousal and stiffened. The almost irresistible scent made his beast tear at its restraints. His vision slightly bled red as he put his right arm around the female. Gritting his teeth, Sesshomaru braced himself as the cloud rose and began to speed towards his castle. It would only be a few minutes until they reached the castle. Surely he could last that long.

Flame clung to the shirt of his kimono tightly as the cloud sped off. She couldn't help but look down as the ground got further and further away until they were above the trees. With a small eep of fear, the small female hid her face in the white, silky material. She had always hated heights! Riding on Sesshomaru's back had been bad enough but this was almost enough to make her faint. Suddenly she felt his clawed hand tighten on her arm. Looking up at him, she noticed he was looking at her as red slowly bled into his eyes.

Fear, arousal and estrus hit his sensitive nose at once, almost staggering him. His controls slipped just enough to let a shred of his beast through. Red bled into his vision again as he stared down at the frightened female. His clawed hand moved over her soft skin as he stared into her eyes. Fear was written all over her but underneath all of it was a hint of arousal. Closing his eyes, he breathed in her scent slowly.

Flame stiffened as she felt his hand rubbing her arm. He was starting to slip and it scared her. Some part of her wanted his touch on her body but another part only wanted to have sex with someone she shared feelings with. She snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed he was bending towards her. His nostrils were flared and his eyes were closed in pleasure as he seemed to take in her scent. Slowly his red eyelids opened to reveal molten amber irises surrounded by a sea of red.

Their noses were almost touching and their breath intermingled as he seemed to be assessing her. Slowly his hand left her arm, moving to her quivering chin and lifting it. Heart beating in her chest, the small female held her breath as Sesshomaru moved his face closer to hers. Their lips barely touched as the moment stretched on. An emotion that Flame was almost afraid to identify was in the taiyoukai's gold and crimson gaze. Suddenly they were jolted as the cloud abruptly landed. Sesshomaru's eyes went back to normal as he pulled back from her.

Flame blinked, realizing they had arrived. Almost disappointed, the pale human stepped off the cloud and looked up at the outer wall. The wall was smooth stone, towering at about ten feet tall. The gates were two huge, mahogany doors that opened inward. Sesshomaru was already walking through the opening doors, prompting the young female to follow.

As the female trotted to keep up with his long strides, Sesshomaru was trying to regain his control. “Please, keep a distance from my side,” he hissed, clenching his right fist. In the corner of his vision he saw her flinch back and felt a wave of regret. He hadn't meant it to sound so harsh but it was best she kept her distance until they got her some proper rags.

Flame bit her lip as she complied with his orders. It only made sense after all. She was on her period, using only leaves to stem the blood flow; leaves that hadn't been changed since early that morning. Her scent was probably very strong for the youkai ahead of her. Once they were inside and the gates had shut behind them, Flame walked a few more paces behind Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru, sensing she was walking slower, looked behind himself in concern. He debated on waiting a bit for her when he heard a familiar cry of excitement. Turning to face his huge palace, the western lord was greeted with the sight of Rin and Jaken. The orange kimono wearing child ran to him, small arms outstretched and a smiled on her freckled face. With a barely visible smile of his own, Sesshomaru knelt to allow the brown haired child to wrap her arms around his neck.

Flame stopped to watch, a quiet smile on her face. Rin released her hold after a few moments while Sesshomaru's green skinned retainer approached. The toad youkai used a wooden staff twice his height as a walking stick. The stick was topped with two heads, one a young lady with long, black hair; the other was an old man. The small creature suddenly halted in its tracks in front of Flame.

Jaken turned his head, fixing his large, beady eyes on the human in front of him. “What are you doing here?” he asked, contempt clear in his voice. Sesshomaru, turning to face his small servant, narrowed his eyes.

“Jaken, leave her be,” he stated coldly, his voice very firm. Jaken squawked loudly, bowing before Sesshomaru as the stoic lord turned and entered his palace. Flame, ignoring the prostrate retainer, followed the taiyoukai inside. Jaken was only a few seconds behind as the large doors were shut behind them. Suddenly several servants appeared in front of Sesshomaru, bowing.

“Show the human female to her room and tend to her requests. I will be in my study and am not to be disturbed,” Sesshomaru ordered coolly before walking up a large set of stairs and leaving Flame behind.

Rin was smiling up at the young woman, laughter in her brown eyes. “Lord Sesshomaru must like you a lot to bring you here,” Rin chirped, jumping in excitement. Jaken only snorted irritably before going up the same stairs his lord had used. The next thing Flame knew, she was gently being tugged in the direction of another stair case a few feet to the left. The female youkai leading her up the purple carpeted stairs was a few inches shorter than her as well as fairly thin. Her hair was red, shoulder length and tied into a pony tail. Her green, slitted eyes were full of worry as she led Flame down a long hall.

The hall had red walls dotted with some portraits of silver haired youkai. Suddenly, the small youkai stopped in front of a mahogany door and opened it. Inside was a huge room with several pieces of furniture. There was a huge canopy bed with blue, silk sheets, a large vanity mirror with an ivory hair brush on the desk, there was also a privacy screen folded up in a corner and a huge wardrobe. Flame went to the wardrobe, opening it to reveal a large selection of kimonos. Closing the doors, she moved to the vanity and opened several drawers. They were filled with undergarments as well as make-up.

All of this was great but she wished she had her old clothes here. There was also another small problem. Thankfully the girl who had led her here was still in the room. Her long, tabby cat tail was twitching as she wrung her hands nervously. “Is there anything else you needed Miss?” the neko asked. Flame went bright red, tightening her thighs.

“Erm, actually yes. You see I'm... erm... well... on my period,” Flame stammered, blushing hard.

“Period, Miss?” the cat youkai asked, tilting her head. Flame very nearly face palmed at the question, blushing even more. What else could she call it?

“Um... I'm kinda... bleeding... down.. there,” she barely managed to get out, face red as a brick.

“Does Miss mean she's in heat?” asked the astonished feline.

“I guess you could call it that and its just Flame. Not Miss,” Flame replied, wishing she could disappear.

“There are rags for such uses in your wash room,” replied the neko youkai, gesturing to a door in the left wall. Flame nodded her gratitude before rushing into the room.

Inside was a huge hot spring with bottles of cleansing oils surrounding it. Against a wall to the right of the spring was a small, wooden cupboard. Flame knelt before the cupboard, opening it to reveal stacks of clean, white rags. After a long time in the bathroom, Flame came back out, a slight blush on her cheeks. She had to leave the leaves she had used in the bathroom on the floor. She hoped whoever cleaned understood.

To her surprise, the red-headed neko was still there. “Erm... What's your name?” Flame asked shyly.

“My name is Akane, Miss Flame,” she replied, with a small bow.

“Akane, I hate to tell you but I had to leave a mess in the bathroom,” Flame said sheepishly.

“I know, I can smell it. I assure you that it will be cleaned expediently. There will also be a waste receptacle put in your wash room,” Akane stated before going into the bathroom.

Flame sat on her bed while the neko youkai cleaned the bathroom. It wasn't too long until she came back out. Flame was confused by her empty hands but decided it would be better not to ask. “Will there be anything else Miss Flame?” Akane asked, fiddling with her maid's shirt.

“No, thank you Akane,” Flame replied, wondering why the feline was so nervous around her. Quickly, Akane bowed and left.

The small female had only a moment to herself before Rin came running in. The small child hopped onto the bed beside Flame, grinning up at her.

“Hello, what's your name?” she asked, despite knowing quite well who she was. The show had gotten her and Jaken right on the dot just like everything else so far. Still, she knew if she just used Rin's name that the girl would probably be confused and scared.

“My name is Rin! What's yours!” she exclaimed, full of energy.

“My name's Flame,” Flame replied, smiling slightly.

“Would you like to come pick flowers with me?” asked the bouncing child excitedly.

“Sure! Lead the way Rin,” responded the woman, getting to her feet.

Squealing happily, Rin ran out of the room with Flame walking behind her. Rin ran past on of the maids, earning a stern look. Quickly, Rin stopped running in favor of skipping. Smiling, Flame followed the small child down the stairs and out the back door. Outside was a huge garden filled with flowers and several flowering cherry trees. In the back left corner of the lush garden was a large koi pond that was full of the colorful fish. Rin ran out into the flowers while Flame picked her jaw off the ground. Sesshomaru certainly hadn't seemed the type to have a garden like this or a garden period.

Still shocked, the young woman followed Rin. The small, orange clad child was giggling with her arms already filled with colorful flowers. With a small laugh, Flame began to pick her own bouquet. Once they both had an armful of flowers, Rin skipped over to a large cherry tree and sat down. Flame followed, setting her flowers down as she sat by Rin. The small girl was soon making necklaces and crowns from the small buds.

Flame watched her technique for a bit before starting to make her own flower jewelry. Hers were rather lopsided and loose compared to Rin's but the child seemed delighted by them. Soon they had a pile of flower necklaces and crowns. Giggling, Rin began to adorn Flame with several of the floral items. Smiling good naturedly, Flame sat still and let the child cover her with jewelry. Once Flame was wearing the whole pile, Rin stepped back to admire her work.

Then, giggling all the way, the small child ran towards the koi pond. Shaking her head, Flame removed all but one flower crown before following her. The two of them sat at the pond's side, staring at the fish as they swam by. Suddenly a loud throat clearing noise startled them, making them turn around. There stood Jaken who was looking mildly annoyed. “You there, woman, Lord Sesshomaru has asked for your presence,” the toad barked, pointing the staff at Flame.

“My name is Flame, toad,” she spat, before heading back inside.

As she entered the castle, it dawned on her that she didn't know where Sesshomaru was. Preferring to just ask one of the servants rather than Jaken, Flame approached one of the servants. The female servant turned toward her, her red eyes narrowing. “Lord Sesshomaru has requested my presence and I don't know where his study is,” Flame stated, hoping the youkai wasn't as angry as she looked.

“Follow me Miss,” the female hissed, her forked tongue flicking out briefly. Then she turned and led the way up the large set of stairs in the middle of the room.

Flame followed in silence. The lizard youkai's tail was twitching erratically which probably showed annoyance. Maybe the female youkai could smell her condition too. Or maybe the demons in the castle hated humans. It would make sense, knowing Sesshomaru's reputation. Suddenly they stopped in front of a huge, mahogany double door. The youkai that led her bowed, then left. Flame looked at the retreating demon and back to the huge doors nervously, then she timidly knocked on the hard wood.

“Enter,” said a cold, male voice from the other side. Swallowing her fear, Flame turned the brass doorknob and opened the door. The room was big enough for a large crowd and had books covering all but two spots on the walls. One spot was a fireplace and the other was a window behind Sesshomaru's large desk. Sesshomaru sat behind the desk, staring placidly at her from between two stacks of paper. Flame entered the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sesshomaru eyed the female for a moment before motioning her to come forward. Her scent was much more subdued now, to his immense relief. “I wish for you to stay at my palace. I have many questions about the future that I want answers to,” he stated, looking her in the eyes.

“I don't know if answering those questions is such a good idea,” Flame murmured, remembering what happened last time she told him about the future.

“That is no concern to me. I will summon you whenever I have a question and you are to answer,” Sesshomaru ordered, a steel undertone to his voice. Flame could only nod in response. His tone had left no room for argument. The western lord nodded back, going back to the papers on his desk. Flame took it as her cue to get out. She left as quietly as she could, shutting the two large doors behind her. Sesshomaru wasn't going to make her stay easy on her. She could only hope that the rest of her tales of the future wouldn't set him off.


	9. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Eh, I'm bored today. Might as well upload a bunch of this.

Flame had spent the rest of the day getting shown around the palace. There was a library, a huge kitchen, a spacious dining hall and a giant ballroom. The ballroom struck her as funny. Sesshomaru didn't seem social enough to warrant such lavish guest accommodations. From the looks of it the palace had hundreds of rooms as well. Maybe this castle used to be Sesshomaru's father's. After being shown everything in the palace as well as the grounds, she was exhausted. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow.

Sunlight beamed right into her window and right in her closed eye, forcing her awake. Flame growled in annoyance as she sat up in her huge bed. Blinking her eyes blearily, she wondered where her alarm clock was. Slowly, as she woke up, she remembered where she was. With a sleepy groan, the black haired female stumbled to her wardrobe.

Yawning, she opened the doors to pick out a reasonable kimono. Most of them seemed meant for more formal occasions. Finally she saw a travel kimono that had pants. Quickly, Flame got dressed in the white and blue material. The pattern resembled ripples in water all over her kimono. Satisfied, the young woman brushed her hair thoroughly before going into the washroom.

After she was finished, she exited her room and tried to remember which way the garden was. After a few moment, Flame decided to go right. Thankfully it turned out to be the right decision as she saw the stairs after only a few moments. Flame went down the stairs, turning to the right and going out the back door. Once again, she found herself in the beautiful garden. Smiling, Flame walked over and sat beneath a large cherry tree.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the rough bark. The blooming cherry blossom's scent was heavenly. Slowly she opened her eyes to see a familiar youkai walking towards her. Sesshomaru approached at a leisurely pace until he was standing in front of the small female. Flame craned her neck up, meeting his amber eyes with her hazel ones. “Is there something you want Lord Sesshomaru?” she asked politely, remaining seated.

Sesshomaru's eyes bored into hers as he stood there in silence. His human seemed to be doing well so far. Now would be the perfect time to ask her a few things. “What is your name?” he asked.

“My name? That's right! I never introduced myself! I'm Flame,” she answered, standing to extend her hand. He stared at her small, human hand before gently grasping it in his larger, clawed hand. Two magenta stripes adorned his wrist and showed briefly as he shook and released her hand.

“Where are you from?” he asked, sitting down.

“A place called Hokkaido,” she answered, sitting beside him.

“Is that what this place becomes?” he asked, staring ahead.

“Its hard to say. I don't know if I came here from Hokkaido or went back in time from there. Unless I can find a way back, I won't have an answer for you,” she remarked, picking at a couple strands of grass.

“What is it like where you're from?” he asked.

After an hour of talking about her life in the future, Flame finally finished talking. After a few moments of silence, Sesshomaru stood. He looked down at her and seemed to be waiting for her. Smiling, Flame stood and followed him back inside. He lead her to the dining room, pulling out a chair for her. After she was seated, Sesshomaru sat at the head of the table which was to the right of where Flame was seated. Only a few seconds after they were seated, a few servants came in with covered dishes as well as dishes, silverware and napkins. They opened the platters to reveal several breakfast foods as well as fruits.

At the sight of the food, Flame's stomach reminded her that she was hungry. Sesshomaru watched placidly while she ate. Once she was finished, Flame sighed contently. “Thank you for the meal but I have some questions of my own,” she stated, looking him in the eyes. Sesshomaru merely inclined his head to show he was listening.

“Why did you help me?” she asked. Sesshomaru looked at her blankly, then got to his feet.

“I cannot answer that,” he replied, turning and walking away. Blinking, Flame followed behind him. What had he meant by that? Did that mean he didn't know? Was it just a whim?

Her ponderings were stopping when she slammed into Sesshomaru. It was like walking into a brick wall and she staggered back, holding her nose. With tears of pain in her eyes, she looked up to see Sesshomaru looking at her before he opened the doors to his study. Following him inside, she jumped slightly when the doors shut behind her. “Regardless of why I brought you here, you will remain here. You may accompany me on journeys but you are to remain in the palace grounds whether or not you do,” he stated coldly, sitting at his desk.

“What about getting home?” she asked, slightly distressed at what he had told her.

“If a way is found to get you home, you may visit but your home is now here,” he replied, looking her in the eyes with his hard amber gaze.

“Do you know of a way to get me home?” she asked, almost hopeful.

“No,” he replied.

Her heart plummeted into her stomach at the simple reply. He was effectively telling her that she was a prisoner here. Why did he want to keep her here? Surely she wasn't much use to him. “Why do you want me here so bad?” she asked, tears coming into her hazel eyes. Her question was only answered by silence. Shoulder's slumping, Flame turned to leave.

“You are from the future. The tales you have told me have given that a lot of merit. I wish you to stay because you are a curiosity. You are something no other lord has,” he replied finally.

So that was it. She was nothing more than a pawn in some political game. What had she honestly expected him to say? It wasn't as if he could have wanted her for anything else. All of a sudden being in the same room as the emotionless lord was too much for her. Keeping a sob inside, the small female ran from the room. Her heart felt leaden and heavy in her chest as she ran. She had developed some deep feelings for the taiyoukai over the week they had traveled together. Feelings that could almost be called love.

She finally stopped running once she burst through the front doors and into the front yards. Chest heaving, Flame walked shakily over to a wall and placed her forehead against the cool stone. She could feel the sobs she barely contained bubbling under the surface. No woman wanted to hear she was just a pawn in a game. Sinking to her knees, still facing the blank, white wall, she covered her face. Sesshomaru's words still rang through her head, only deepening her misery. She could have lived with being here for Rin but not this.

Finally the dam broke inside and she began sobbing harshly. Covering her mouth so no one could hear her, Flame's shoulders shook from the force of the sobs. She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder. With tears streaming down her pale cheeks, Flame turned to see Rin looking at her with concern. The young woman quickly wiped her tears away, putting a fake smile on her face. Rin looked at her sympathetically, before giving her a hug. “Why are you crying?” asked the small child, pulling back to look in Flame's eyes.

“I just miss home is all,” Flame lied, patting Rin's head.

“Tell Lord Sesshomaru! I'm sure he'd let you go visit!” she chirped happily.

“Its not that easy little one. My home is in another land,” Flame replied, eyes distant and sad.

“I'm sorry Flame. This can be your home now,” Rin suggested, taking the older woman's hand in hers.

“Sesshomaru said the same thing. I just don't know if its enough,” replied the older woman, gripping Rin's hand gently. Rin looked up at the sad woman in silence. If only she could make Flame feel more at home here. Suddenly a glint appeared in the child's eyes and she smiled. She knew just what to do.

Flame let Rin lead her back inside, walking almost like a zombie. As soon as they were in the castle, Rin ran out the back door and into the gardens. Flame debated following her before deciding to go to the library. There might be a book in there with a clue of how to get home. Thankfully it only took a few moments to get to the huge, book filled room. Once she was there, Flame looked through the catalog system for anything about powerful artifacts. Soon she had a stack of books and she tottered over to a chair and table.

Sitting down, she began reading through them for anything. After a couple books she was getting discouraged. So far there was nothing that even seemed like it could get her home. As she was about to pick up a third book she noticed Rin skipping towards her with her hands behind her back. Flame sighed, smiling in surrender. No doubt the child wanted her to cheer up.

Rin stopped in front of her smiling widely. Then, with a flourish, the small child presented a bouquet of flowers. Flame gasped, looking as surprised as she could. After all, in the anime the child had a fondness for giving flowers. Her acting must have been good because Rin positively glowed with delight. “I'm so glad Flame-chan likes them!” Rin squealed, hugging Flame tight. Chuckling a little, Flame embraced the small child lightly.

After a few moments, Rin broke away and skipped out of the room. Still smiling, Flame set the bouquet beside the books on the table. Then she went back to looking for ways to get home. Suddenly she spotted a passage that made her feel faint hope. It was a legend about a demoness witch that had the power to open a portal to a strange world. In payment she took something precious from the traveler. She wanted to read more but passage just ends. Still she didn't like what the passage was saying. What was the important item?

Picking up the book, she decided to ask Sesshomaru. As she walked the halls, she noticed the servants staring at her. In fact they had been treating her weird since she had gotten here. They were always giving her odd looks that seemed to border on disgust. That would be something to ask Sesshomaru as well. Thankfully it wasn't too long before she reached his study. With a steady hand, the small female knocked on the heavy, wooden door.

Sesshomaru's sensitive nose had picked up the female's scent long before she reached his door. As he felt his beast tug against his restraints, he found himself wondering how long her heat would last. Her scent had been all too distracting these past two days. Even with her scent subdued it had a strong effect on him. “Come,” he stated simply, trying to go back to his paperwork.

Flame cautiously opened the heavy door, entering the room slowly. Once she was inside, the door creaked shut behind her. Wondering how the doors did that all the time, she turned to face Sesshomaru. The silver haired lord was signing papers and not paying her any attention at all. “Erm, Lord Sesshomaru I came across an interesting legend in a book. I was wondering if there was any truth to it,” said Flame, twisting her white and blue kimono top.

“What is this legend?” he asked in an almost bored tone.

“Well its about this witch demoness that can open a portal to another world. It also says she takes something of importance from the traveler. Is there any truth to it?” she asked shyly.

Sesshomaru stopped breathing as a memory flashed in his mind. “Yes, its true,” he hissed, his claws digging into the wood of the desk. The important thing was often speculated to be almost as important to life. Was it worth the risk to her?

Flame watched his reaction with confusion written on her face. She had only seen him this upset once and he had been in his feral form. “Lord Sesshomaru? What's wrong?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“The important thing given as payment could mean your life. Do you still wish to pursue this legend?” he growled, red flashing in his eyes. Waves of fear mixed with her heat reached his nose. His body suddenly ached for her and he growled in denial. He would not rut with this human female like some beast. With as much control as he could muster, he pushed down his baser instincts. Slowly he came back to himself.

Flame was more shocked by the battle Sesshomaru was having with himself than what he had said. Then it came to her, it was her scent! She was afraid as well as in heat. Her scent had to be overwhelming for the taiyoukai. Closing her eyes, the small female slowed her breathing as she pushed down her fear. Slowly she forced herself to be calm and opened her eyes. To her relief Sesshomaru's amber gaze met hers steadily. He looked deadly serious. “Do you wish to pursue this legend?” he asked again.

“Yes. I want to know if I can go home. If it means my death, I'll give up. But I have to know!” she exclaimed, looking just as serious.

Sesshomaru met her gaze steadily. She had to know. He could see it all over her. She would never be happy if he didn't allow her to at least get information. With a small sigh Sesshomaru stated, “Fine. We will seek her out after your heat passes.”

“Thank you Lord Sesshomaru,” she squeaked, smiling widely. Tears of happiness were on her cheeks.

Suddenly the tall youkai was behind her, his nose was burrowed in her hair as he took in her scent. Blushing, Flame found herself unable to move as his scent reached her nose. He smelled of musk, rain and strength. Blushing she realized his hand was rubbing her side as he sniffed her. A small rumbling noise was emitting from his chest as well.

All of a sudden flashes of him pinning her down filled her mind. Unbidden, memories of when he almost violated her filled her mind. Stiffening, she tried to struggle free of his grip. To her relief he released her. With her hands clutched to her chest the black haired female backed up and ran from the room.

Sesshomaru almost reached for her as she ran but stopped himself. He wouldn't chase after her like a puppy. Besides he didn't want to get more attached to her. As the days went on he found himself more and more drawn to her. In particular, his beast seemed to crave her. It had to be because he had been feral when he found her. Feelings were felt a lot stronger in that form and were harder to deny. In fact it was possible he had formed a loyalty to her while they had traveled. For some reason the thought didn't bother him as much as it should.

Flame ran to her room, shutting the door behind her. Her arousal felt like a betrayal but also felt right. Torn inside, the young woman went into her washroom. Stripping nude, she slipped into the steamy water with a sigh. She grabbed a couple scented oils, beginning to rub them all over her. Soon she smelled like roses and orange blossoms to her delight.

Emotionally she was still torn. A part of her loved Sesshomaru for everything he had done for her out in the wild. Another part feared him for the monster he sometimes became. When he lost his reason was the scariest. She just didn't know if he would hurt her or not. The first time he had lost his senses he had wanted to kill her. There was also the problem of him not loving her. Flame, being a virgin, wanted her first time to be with someone she loved.

With a sigh she stared at the stony ceiling. A part of her craved his touch. In fact her womanhood was still aroused by the earlier encounter. With a blush, Flame began to play with her nipples. The sensitive flesh came to life under her fingers. Closing her eyes, she visualized Sesshomaru's hands playing with her flesh. Breath coming in pants, she moved her hand to her aching core. In her mind, Sesshomaru was panting in her ear and nibbling her neck gently. She could almost feel his arousal pressing into her back as her finger moved to her pearl.

With slow, deliberate strokes, Flame was soon panting and whimpering. In her mind, the stoic lord was watching her face as she bordered on the edge of orgasm. With a smirk, his index finger brushed hard against her clit. With a cry, Flame stiffened and orgasmed around her fingers. Blushing and feeling a bit shameful, she cleaned herself again. Once she was clean, she changed into her pajamas and got into bed.


	10. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: You guys are lucky yanno. When I was posting this fic on AFF it wasn't finished, so there were often long delays between chapters.

Flame awoke to see the bouquet from yesterday in a vase on her bedside table. With a small smile, the sleepy female stumbled out of bed. Blurred memories of yesterday flashed through her head, making her blush. Had she really fantasized about Sesshomaru?! She wanted to die of embarrassment right there. Then a horrified though came to her mind, 'What if he could smell all that?! What if the whole castle could?!' Blushing furiously, Flame had to decide whether or not to leave her room.

A sudden knock on the door broke through her thoughts. “Come in,” Flame responded. The door slowly creaked open to reveal Akane. Her nose wrinkled as soon as she came in the room. Flame blushed, opening a window. She would have to remember to air out more often.

“Lord Sesshomaru requests your presence at breakfast,” stated the cat youkai.

“Thank you Akane. You may leave,” Flame responded, noticing the neko's tail was all bushy. Akane bowed and left quickly.

Sighing, Flame went through her morning routine. Soon she was dressed in an orange and black traveling kimono. Once she had brushed her hair, Flame began to make her way to the dining room. As soon as she saw Sesshomaru sitting at the head of the table, she blushed deeply. Her eyes focused on the ground, Flame sat in the chair that was farthest away from her host. As she sat she felt his eyes boring into her. Not daring to look up at the western lord, the small female waited for breakfast to be served.

Sesshomaru watched the female closely. He could smell her left over arousal as well as her shame. He didn't like that she was distancing herself from him one bit. In a flash he had switched positions to sit at the end of the table beside her. Her startled look satisfied a more feral part of him and he smirked. “Is something wrong?” he almost purred.

Flame made a small noise, flinching away from him. He had appeared there so quick! A small bit of arousal shot through her at his nearness. His sharp nose seemed to catch the small whiff as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he reopened his eyes, they were tinged pink and his hand was under her chin. Slowly he closed the space between them, making her hold her breath. Hot excitement coiled in her lower belly as he stopped a mere breath away from her lips.

Her scent came in waves, causing a haze to drop over his vision. Her arousal mixed with her heat was almost irresistible. He found himself longing to taste her lips. That thought snapped him out of it. There was no way he, Lord Sesshomaru, would lower himself to kiss a mere human. With a quiet growl he backed away from the female.

Flame watched Sesshomaru, hurt written on her face. It had been his instincts acting up again. Feeling dejected, she followed him out to the garden. Sitting under a large cherry tree, Flame stared at the ground. Sesshomaru sat beside her, staring straight ahead. “Tell me of your devices in the future,” he spoke quietly.

The black haired woman began telling him about several items, ranging from stuffed toys to complex devices. He seemed most intrigued by the car. In fact he wanted to know the most about it. “How do they move?” he asked, looking at her.

“I'm afraid I don't know that much about them,” Flame admitted with a blush.

“I see,” he said neutrally, looking slightly disappointed.

“Can I ask you more about demons?” she asked shyly. The only response she got was a nod.

“Are demon instincts stronger?” She asked, not quite daring to look at him.

“Yes and sometimes a lot more dangerous. Lesser demons often can't control their instincts,” the stoic lord answered.

“What do you mean by dangerous?” Flame asked, looking over at him.

“If I were a lesser demon you would have been raped and pregnant by now,” he answered, anger slipping into his voice.

Deciding to be quiet, Flame leaned against the trunk of the cherry tree. The wood was rough and scratched her slightly through her kimono. Looking up at the sun shining through the blossom filled branches, Flame smiled slightly. This garden was beautiful and peaceful. Just being out here made her feel as if everything was alright. Suddenly she felt a hand on hers and she opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru's pale hand on hers. She looked up to see his eyes staring at her. The amber orbs were full of an emotion that Flame couldn't identify but the emotion soon vanished and he removed his hand.

Sesshomaru had watched his human's face fill with pleasure just being in the garden. Her face had fairly glowed with happiness. In that moment, Sesshomaru never wanted her to leave his lands. Grasping her small hand in his, he realized just how small she was, just how delicate. He felt a surge of protective instinct as she looked into his eyes. Releasing her hand, he made a silent vow to protect her as long as she was with him.

As she watched, Sesshomaru stood and walked away. The youkai's thoughts were a mystery to her. With a shrug, the young woman went back into the castle to look for Rin. She could always count on the child to want to do something. Rin was her only companion besides Sesshomaru. The other youkai in the castle seemed to regard her with contempt or outright dislike, even Akane. To her relief she didn't have to go far to find Rin. The small girl was currently pestering Jaken to take her outside the castle grounds.

Rin was on her knees, clasped hands outstretched to the indifferent toad youkai. “Please Master Jaken! The prettiest flowers are right by the castle walls! We won't have to go far,” she pleaded, fake tears in her eyes.

“Those crocodile tears won't work on me. I have more important things to do with my time than escort a child to pick flowers,” Jaken groused, turning his back on the child.

“Aw come on Jaken, you don't look that busy to me,” Flame responded, a hint of playfulness in her voice. Jaken whirled to face Flame, a glare on his face.

“That's Master Jaken to you wench! Besides what would a human like you know about being busy? I may not look like it but I have many duties to attend to,” Jaken replied haughtily, hobbling away from the two females. Flame stuck her tongue out at his retreating back before turning to the child who was now giving her puppy eyes.

“Please Flame-chan? Will you take me?” Rin pleaded, her brown eyes wide and filled with tears.

“I don't think I should Rin. I wouldn't be able to protect you if a demon came,” Flame replied, rubbing the back of her head.

“We wouldn't go far. Sesshomaru could get to us in seconds. Please?” the child whimpered, sniffling slightly.

“Oh okay but lets take Ah-Un,” Flame suggested without thinking.

“How did you know about Ah-Un Flame-chan?” Rin asked, leading Flame out to the stables.

“Lord Sesshomaru told me about him,” the older woman recovered quickly.

Thankfully the child seemed to accept the explanation and skipped towards the wooden building. Flame sighed inwardly in relief as she followed the spritely girl. The many stalls were occupied with horses. At the end stood the two headed dragon which was swishing his tail placidly. “Hello Ah-Un!” Rin chirped patting the creature's green scaled hide. Flame approached the mount cautiously, holding out her hand for him to sniff. The gentle creature sniffed her hand for a second before nuzzling the appendage. Smiling, Flame watched as Rin affixed the creature with a bridle for each head and an ornate saddle.

Taking the reins in one hand, Flame lead the two headed dragon out of the stable before helping Rin into the large saddle. Once the child was secured, Flame gingerly climbed onto the beast's back. “Take us just outside the North wall Ah-Un,” Rin ordered, smiling. As Flame watched a blue cloud formed beneath the dragon's clawed feet, slowly lifting into the air. Slowly, Ah-Un flew over the high north wall and landed just outside. Laughing, Rin slid off the creature's back and began to pick the most beautiful flowers Flame had ever seen.

Flame slid off the passive animal's back, taking the opportunity to scratch behind the right head's ears. Closing his eyes, Ah-Un leaned into her and purred. “You're a good sort Ah-Un,” Flame said, not knowing if the creature could understand her. To her surprise, Ah-Un licked her cheek in response. Patting the mount, Flame joined Rin in her flower gathering. After a few minutes they both had armfuls of flowers. Flame boosted Rin onto Ah-Un's back before getting on behind her.

Once they landed safely in the grounds, they were greeted by a rather angry looking Sesshomaru. Rin, not seeming to notice or care about his ire, ran forward with her bouquet outstretched. “Flame-chan took me out to pick flowers,” Rin exclaimed, a bright smile on her freckled face. The irritated looking lord ruffled his ward's hair while looking at Flame with his hard eyes. “That's good Rin. Go inside and show Jaken,” Sesshomaru replied, his eyes not moving from the older female. Rin acquiesced with a smile, skipping inside.

Once they were alone, the towering taiyoukai stalked up to the female slowly. His eyes held a burning anger as well as what looked like worry. “Why did you go outside these walls without protection while in heat?” he hissed once he was an inch away from her. Flame gulped, looking up into his hard, amber gaze. Tenseness was present in his frame as he awaited her answer.

“I thought you would be able to help if there was a problem,” Flame replied, knowing just how lame that sounded. The white clad youkai lord tensed even more, drawing in breath slowly.

“It is true that I could have reached you before anything serious happened but I don't think you understand the risk. You smell like a bitch in heat! You'll attract every demon for miles! You're lucky that a whole horde didn't show up while you were out there,” he snarled, his voice rising in volume steadily. Flame flinched away from him, partly frightened of his anger but also realizing what he said was true. She had taken a huge gamble with not only her life but Rin's as well. Sesshomaru had every right to be mad at her.

“It was very stupid of me Lord Sesshomaru,” she replied meekly.

At the sound of her small, frightened voice; Sesshomaru subsided and took a step back. The small female looked distraught as well as afraid. “I only tell you this to protect you,” he said gently, lifting her chin so she looked him in the eyes.

“I know. I'm just sorry I was so stupid to risk Rin's life,” she replied, tears standing in her hazel eyes.

Sesshomaru was taken aback by her statement, his hand tightening slightly on her face. Was Rin's life the only one she was concerned for? Loosening his grip on her face, he searched her eyes for something. After a long while he sighed silently. “Do you have no regard for your own life?” he replied.

“Of course I do. I just never should have agreed to lead Rin outside the wall. I didn't think and that's my fault,” she responded, looking at the ground. When he didn't respond, Flame looked up to see him looking at her in an assessing manner. After a few minutes of silence, he grabbed her hand and led her inside. Flame followed willingly, confused at his earlier question. Had he been concerned about her safety as well as Rin's? The idea almost seemed ludicrous if not for the week she had spent with his beast form. Maybe some of the protective instincts carried over. The thought made Flame smile slightly.

Noticing the small smile, Sesshomaru wondered what his human was thinking about. He hoped that she had been truthful with her answer. He wanted her to think of her safety as well. Right now the thought of letting her out of his sight was too much to bare. The thought of her going outside the castle earlier still filled him with dread. Right now he wanted assurance she wasn't going to do that again. Leading her into his study, he shut the door and led her to a chair.

Flame sat in the wooden chair, watching as Sesshomaru sat across from her behind his desk. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked curiously.

“I want to keep an eye on you for a while,” the western lord replied simply.

Blushing, Flame looked down at her hands in her lap. She felt slightly like a chastised child being watched by a parent. “How long am I going to stay here?” she asked nervously.

“Until I tell you to go,” came the curt reply. With a sigh, Flame decided she deserved this for earlier and stopped asking questions. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as she watched Sesshomaru sign several papers. Every so often he would move a lock of his silver hair behind a pointed ear so he could see. Just watching him, Flame found herself quite speechless from his beauty.

His very frame and face screamed of regality. He commanded respect and was probably sought after by thousands of youkai women. For some reason, Flame found herself getting jealous from that thought. 'That won't do. After all I'm a human and there's no chance I'll be anything but an oddity,' she thought to herself. Fighting the sadness filling her, Flame focused on the dead fireplace. She tried to imagine how cheery it looked in the winter and smiled slightly.

Sesshomaru watched her emotions change rapidly, tilting his head. Humans were the most confusing creatures in his lands. Her and Rin showed so much emotion so freely that it confused him. He could never tell how they would feel one moment from the next. It almost made him wonder if all human females were like that. With a small sigh, the western lord stood, walking until he was in front of the woman's chair. “You humans are an enigma,” he stated solemnly.

Looking up at the tall youkai, Flame tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Your emotions change like the wind. One never knows what's coming next,” he replied, meeting her gaze steadily.

“I suppose that's one way to see it. Yet we seem to have no problem figuring out how the other is feeling,” she replied.

“I never said I didn't know what you were feeling,” he replied softly, closing the distance.

Flame looked into Sesshomaru's eyes, searching for something. All she saw was the hard steel in his amber eyes. “Why won't you tell me why you want me here?” she asked quietly, lowering her gaze. Suddenly she felt his clawed hand lifting her chin and their eyes met.

“I just want you here,” he answered softly, his eyes becoming the color of warm honey.

“Wh-what?” she asked, a blush coming to her cheeks.

Suddenly his gaze broke from hers and he backed away. His eyes were again hard and cold. “That is enough questions. Leave and go straight to your chambers,” he ordered, a hard edge to his voice. Taken aback by the sudden change, Flame scampered out of the room. Once in the hall, she slowed her pace and headed to her room. As she walked down the stairs and up another set a few feet to the left, she felt the stares of the youkai servants on her. Their disapproval of her burned into the back of her head.

She was all too relieved to get into her room and shut the door. Had he meant what he said back there? Had that been why he had sent her away? Why did he want to keep her here? With a sad sigh, Flame flung herself onto her bed and stared at the stone ceiling. A better question was probably did she want to stay here? The servants almost seemed to hate her.

As the day faded from the sky outside, dinner was delivered to her by Akane. Once again the cat demon seemed all too glad to get away from her, making her feel alone. As she ate, she wondered if she was destined to only have Rin as a friend. If the witch youkai was a dead end, could she stay here? Shaking her head, she came to the conclusion she couldn't. Her heart couldn't stand the loneliness of the castle. Sesshomaru wasn't a companion and the rest of the castle seemed to have no love for her. When the time came she would ask permission to join Inuyasha's group. She doubted Sesshomaru would let her go without a fight but she hoped she could make him see. Curling up on the bed, she watched the stars begin to twinkle outside her window.


	11. Avoidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back with another chapter!

Flame awoke the next day to the realization that she had cried during the night. Washing her face in the basin in the washroom, she remembered her dreams. She had dreamed of Sesshomaru and their current situation. She remembered his voice telling her how much he loved her and a needle of pain shot through her heart. Wiping away the fresh tears, the woman straightened and got dressed. Why did her subconscious torture her so?

As she got dressed, Flame decided it would be best to avoid Sesshomaru for today. She didn't want the attraction to grow. At least today was the last day of her period. If she could hold out, she would just have to travel with him to the witch youkai. Dressed in a red and white traveling kimono, Flame made her way down to the dining room.

To her relief, the room was empty except for a few servant youkai. Sitting at the end of the table, she waited to be served breakfast. A black haired, purple eyed female youkai gave her a baleful look before approaching. “What do you wish of me?” she hissed, anger dripping from her voice.

“Erm, just some breakfast please,” she requested, recoiling from the enraged demon.

“As you wish... mistress,” she snarled icily, before walking off.

Feeling a bit out of place as well as unwelcome, Flame considered just going back to her room. It seemed like the servants were steadily becoming even more hostile than before. Her suspicions became justified when her food was thrown down in front of her. The youkai female glared at her, as if daring her to say anything. Meekly, Flame ate her food, avoiding eye contact.

After she was finished, she looked at the youkai staring at her. “Why do you seem to hate me so much?” she asked quietly.

“Humans are mere filth to us youkai. Its bad enough that Lord Sesshomaru brought that loud brat here, now he has a human wanton,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. Flame's eyes went wide. They thought that she was Sesshomaru's whore?! Face flaring in embarrassment and rage, Flame pushed away from the long table and ran out to the garden. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran to a cherry tree and placed her forehead against the cool bark. It hurt even worse to know they thought that she was a whore.

Punching the hard tree, the enraged female yelped in pain. Growling through clenched teeth, she held her now bleeding hand against her kimono top. That hadn't been very smart. Unwilling to go inside, Flame slid to the ground. Unfortunately she wasn't alone for long. To her dismay she saw Sesshomaru striding towards her. Holding her injured hand to her chest. Flame backed away from the approaching youkai and assessed her options. Finally she broke into a run in the opposite direction out of desperation. She knew he would catch her easily but all she wanted to do was run.

The smell of her blood had reached all the way into his study, making him drop what he had been doing. Concerned that one of the youkai in his castle had harmed her, he had hurried to where the scent led. To his relief she didn't look harmed other than her hand. Moving forward, he noticed her backing away from him. Frowning slightly, he noticed she smelled of fear. Wondering why she was suddenly afraid of him, he moved forward again. To his shock and irritation, she ran from him. In five seconds he had a hold of her.

Flame flailed uselessly, trying to get away from the western lord. It was like struggling against a steel beam. After a few moments, she gave up with a sigh. Her traitorous body had a sudden jolt of arousal from his breath on her neck as he held her tight. “Why did you run from this Sesshomaru?” he growled coldly.

“Please, I'm okay. I just need to go to my room and bandage it,” she whimpered, slightly intimidated by his hard, amber gaze. His eyes bored into her mercilessly as he gently took hold of her injured hand.

“Let me see,” he said, his voice hard.

Cautiously, Flame let Sesshomaru take her still bleeding hand. Her knuckles were badly scraped and dribbling slowly. Slowly, Sesshomaru brought the hand up to his face. As she watched he gently began to lick her wounds. Wincing slightly, Flame tried to pull her hand away only have a soft growl reach her ears. His grip on her hand tightened as he slowly lathed his tongue over each small wound. Blushing, Flame realized that each lap of his tongue made a shock of arousal go through her. Soon she was panting a bit and blushing as his eyes rose to meet hers. The white was slightly tinged pink and his amber orbs were a molten honey color.

Growling so soft it could almost be a purr, Sesshomaru pulled her closer by the hand he was holding. Pressing his body flush against hers, Flame realized that she could feel his arousal against her. Blushing even more as her own arousal rose, she tried to pull away out of embarrassment. This only earned her a low growl as the taiyoukai pulled her closer. Slowly he released her hand and to her surprise she saw her wounds had healed.

A gentle rumble coming from his chest, Sesshomaru sniffed at her neck. Stiffening, Flame swallowed as she felt his tongue brush against her neck. “L-lord S-sesshomaru,” she whimpered, shaking slightly. As much as her body wanted this, she didn't. Though she craved to have him take her right now, she knew she would never forgive herself. She was a virgin, wanting her first time to be with the man she would be with for the rest of her life. As much as she may wish for it, the western lord would never be that man.

“Please, let me go,” she whispered, arousal still pulsing in her loins.

“Why, I can smell your arousal. You want this,” he purred lustily into her ear as he nipped her neck. Flame moaned softly at the light nip, leaning her head back submissively. 'I do want this. I really do,' she thought to herself as she bordered on giving in to her body.

“N-no! Please! I know this is just from your instincts. Lord Sesshomaru, I know you don't want to mate a human!” she yelled, trying to squirm away. Even as she struggled to get away, her body cried for him to never let her go.

Sesshomaru growled low in his throat as he tightened his one arm around her. He could clearly smell that she wanted him. That and her heat were fogging his mind. Slowly, though, he could smell fear starting to seep through the arousal. Loosening his hold on her, he stepped back.

Flame nearly collapsed in relief as the youkai backed away. Slowly, the white returned to his eyes and he was looking at her neutrally. “Forgive my behavior. Your scent is stronger on the last day of your heat. It might be best or us both if we avoided each other,” he stated before he stalked off. She stood there for a few minutes, shaking like a leaf. Then she slid to her knees on the plush grass as her eyes filled with tears. Why did her body keep betraying her like this? Why did she have to be attracted to him so much? Why did her heart ache for his acceptance? She didn't want any of these feelings!

With a quiet sob, she ran up to her room and shut her door. Collapsing on her silk covered bed, she sobbed in sorrow. She didn't care if the whole castle heard her cries, all she wanted was an outlet for her feelings. Memories of the show ran through her mind along with several fanfics she had read. All of them were about the amber eyed lord. None of this helped ease her pain. A quiet knock shocked her out of her sobbing and she sat up. “Come in.' she said as neutrally as possible, wiping her eyes.

The oak door slowly swung open to admit Rin. “Why are you crying Flame-chan?” the small child asked, concern all over her face.

“Don't worry about it Rin. I was just being silly I guess,” she replied somberly, sighing. The brown haired girl hopped up onto the bed and gave Flame a hug. Smiling, she gently returned the hug, her black hair falling in her face. Brushing her hair back, the older woman pulled back from Rin and smiled sadly.

“Lets go out and play some ball,” Rin suggested, smiling brightly. Flame couldn't help but return the smile and nod. Giggling musically, the young child led the older woman back out the garden.

Flame sat under a nearby cherry tree, watching as the child ran to a small shed beside the koi pond. Rin soon came back with a small, red ball. With a laugh, Rin tossed the ball at Flame. Flame caught the ball with ease. Smiling, she rolled the ball back and stood up. Running with her arms out to her sides, Rin circled behind the ball and kicked it. Soon the two of them were kicking the red ball all around the garden. They ran until they both collapsed into giggling piles on the grass.

Rin grasped Flame's hand in hers, giggling breathlessly. “Flame, will you stay here and be my okasan?” the child asked innocently. That stopped Flame's laughter cold. Looking into the child's wide, brown eyes; she was finding it hard to say no.

“I'm sorry Rin. I just don't belong here,” she replied, as Rin's eyes filled with tears.

“But why?! Lord Sesshomaru brought you here so you must be here for a reason!” Rin yelled, tears starting to fill her eyes.

“Rin, sweetie, I don't think Lord Sesshomaru likes me in that way,” Flame replied as she sat up.

“No, I'm sure he likes you! I'll go ask him!” The upset child shouted as she ran inside.

Flame watched the child's retreating back with an expression of horror. When Sesshomaru heard of this she would be in a lot of trouble. With no further thought, she ran. She ran until she reached the back yards, where the stables stood. With no other thought than to escape in her mind, she got on Ah-Un and rode him away. The placid beast obeyed her without question as he flew her far from the palace. Once the two headed dragon was out of sight of the castle, Flame instructed him to land.

She had to think. She had nowhere to go other than back to the palace or die out in the wilderness. Suddenly, Inuyasha's gang came to mind. She could travel with them and Kagome would probably be able to lend her more clothes. She was getting sick of wearing the kimonos. As she was thinking she saw a ball of light heading in her direction. As she watched it approach, she remembered that Sesshomaru could change into such a light ball in the show. Paling considerably, she got on Ah-Un and urged him to take off.

No matter how fast the mount went, the ball of light was catching up quickly. Realizing it would make it easier on her if she gave in, she landed Ah-Un again. As she got off the dragon, Sesshomaru landed and was glaring down at her. “Come,” he bit out, voice as hard as steel. The very air around him fairly crackled as his aura flared with anger. Reluctantly, Flame led Ah-Un towards the imposing youkai. Sesshomaru grabbed her hard, crushing her against his side.

As his cloud rose into the sky, he glared down at her. “Where were you going to go?” he asked icily.

“Er I uh... Maybe Inuyasha...,” she started until he squeezed her so hard it hurt.

“You will never talk of going to the hanyou again. You are mine,” he snarled, his sharp nails beginning to cut into her arm.

His? What did he mean by that? Her heart skipped a beat as his blazing, angry eyes bored into hers. “L-lord Sesshomaru,” she started haltingly.

“You are NEVER to leave the grounds again without me. I thought I had already made that quite clear. As for Rin, I will make sure she understands,” he growled.

They flew in silence until they reached his castle. As they landed, he led her into the castle and into her room. Once they were inside the room, the seething lord shut the door behind him. Slowly he walked towards her, anger all over his face. “You could have been killed and all over what a small child says,” he growled, backing her up until she fell onto her bed. His eyes searched hers for a moment until he backed away slightly.

“You will be watched at all times until you can prove you won't do this again,” he growled, grasping her arm in his one hand. His eyes held a deadly seriousness as he glared at her.

“You'll be staying within my sight at all times for the rest of the day. I only brought you here to get some things,” he growled, releasing her.

“Why am I getting stuff?” she asked rubbing her arm where he had grasped.

“You will be sleeping in my chambers tonight. I want be sure this 'running away' notion has left your head,” he bit out coldly, watching as she stared at him.

Seeing that his eyes were more demanding than asking, Flame gathered her pajamas and followed Sesshomaru back to his study. “Sit,” he demanded, pointing at the chair across from his desk. Flame sat, lowering her gaze to the carpet. This was even worse than the last time this happened. Now he never took his gaze off her.

“Why did what Rin asked upset you so much?” he asked, staring at her intently.

“W-well... er well... Its just... I know you don't feel that way about me,” she stammered, blushing deeply.

“And this upsets you enough to risk your life,” he questioned a little more gently.

“I... I don't know... I just... I didn't think,” she managed. He brought up a good point. No matter her reasons, what she did was dumb. She had done it not once but twice.

“Why does the thought of me not having... affection for you upset you?” he asked again, still staring at her.

“D-don't ask me that... please,” she pleaded, wishing she could just die right there. Why was he being so insistent? Why couldn't he stop staring at her?

Suddenly he got up and stood before her. “Tell me,” he said softly.

“I... I... developed feelings for you,” she whispered softly, feeling tears brim in her eyes. Her admission was only greeted with silence. Feeling hot tears in her eyes, she tried to swallow them down. What had she expected? “Feelings,” he stated simply, his eyes flashing briefly. He came closer, looking into her eyes the entire time.

“I see,” he whispered softly, his eyes becoming warm briefly. Then, he pulled away, leaving her confused.

His voice had sound softer, almost happy. It had probably been her imagination. Starting to cry, she tried to swallow her sorrow. She hated herself for being so emotional. Suddenly her head was lifted gently and she was looking into his eyes. His amber eyes were warm and filled with an emotion that she didn't know. Slowly, he closed the distance between them until their lips were only inches apart. Then, with a sharp inhale, he pulled back. His eyes looked cold and hard again.

Flame felt her heart drop as he pulled back. Had that moment just been another instinct driven one? Had he only been feeling lust when he had looked at her so tenderly? Refusing to start crying again, she focused on the carpet. She could feel him staring at her, making her feel even more stupid. “Can we just forget this ever happened?” she asked quietly, feeling deeply ashamed.

“Yes,” he replied shortly before grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet. She was caught off guard as she was dragged down halls and well past her room. She was lead to a huge set of double silver doors. Without so much as a look of strain, Sesshomaru pushed the doors open and led her inside.

In the room was a huge, silk covered bed as well as a large wardrobe. It looked like Sesshomaru even had his own hot spring like she did. She jumped when he closed the door, turning to look at the stoic lord. Sesshomaru looked at her placidly, before going behind his changing screen and undressing. Turning bright red and making an eeping noise, she turned her back as he changed into some nightclothes.

Hearing a throat clearing behind her, she turned to see the silk clad taiyoukai lounging on his bed. “Er, I don't think sharing a bed is a good idea,” she whispered, doubly hesitant because of her confused emotions. His eyes showed no room for argument, making her sigh in defeat as she crawled onto the bed. Scooting as far away from the western lord as possible, she laid on her side and tried to go to sleep. Sesshomaru settled in behind her, staying on his own side. After endless hours of laying next to the taiyoukai, she finally drifted off.


	12. A New Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Still need to work on continuity a bit on my end but I think my later works show my growth.

So warm. So comfortable. The person she was snuggled against was very warm. Making a content noise, she rubbed her cheek against his silky chest. Wait. Another person was in bed with her? Slowly, Flame opened her hazel eyes to see a well muscled chest right in front of her. As much as she dreaded knowing who it was, she found her eyes slowly traveling up to his face. To her horror, Sesshomaru was looking down at her with a strange look on his face.

Face going crimson, she immediately tried to back away from him. When had he taken off his night shirt? Why was his arm wrapped around her? Was he pulling her closer? Heart jumping in her throat, Flame found herself being pressed against him. She could feel as well as hear the low rumbling coming from his chest. Gently, he nuzzled her hair while holding her close.

To her further horror she could feel his arousal poking her through his sleeping pants. Blushing even more, she felt his face move besides hers as he licked her cheek. She held her breath as his lips trailed down to her neck, giving her a gentle nip. Arousal shot through her body like a shock and he tightened his hold on her. He was now growling softly as he licked her neck. Gasping she brought her hands up to his smooth, pale chest.

Sesshomaru could smell her arousal, her need. His own body craved hers. His beast slowly invaded his thoughts, clouding them with lust. He could feel her shuddering with fear and need. Slowly, he licked her neck where her pulse beat. Every pass of his tongue caused the small female to shudder in pleasure. Right now he wanted nothing more than to mate her.

Flame found herself moaning as he growled against her neck and pressed his arousal into her lower body. Her folds were wet with desire as she found herself pressing against him. “Lord Sesshomaru...,” she breathed. Her mind was fogged with her desire for the beautiful lord. She wanted him so bad, her body ached. Still, something in the back of her mind was bothering her. Something was telling her this wasn't right.

Suddenly she found herself on her back with the taiyoukai straddling over her. His silver hair fell around them like a curtain as he closed the distance between them. Her eyes met his slightly pink tinged eyes as they came achingly close to kissing. Unable to stand the distance anymore, Flame rose to meet his lips. He kissed her gently, licking her lips. Slowly they pulled apart as his amber eyes burned with an unknown emotion.

Flame had never felt more aroused in her life. Her body was screaming for him to take her. Then, with a jolt, she froze. Her mind fully rebelled against the situation. This wasn't right! She wanted her first time to be with the one she loved. She also knew Sesshomaru wouldn't want to have sex with her if he were in his right mind. “Wait, stop,” she pleaded.

Sesshomaru stopped as he heard her. Why was she again denying him? He could smell that she wanted this as much as he did. “Why?” he growled, his silk covered arousal twitching.

“You're not in your right mind. Please, I know you don't want to have sex with me, a human,” she responded. The pale lord closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She was wrong. He did want to have sex with her and not just that. He found himself wanting to mate her. Despite his best efforts he had developed strong feelings of protection even love for the small female. Yet he knew she was right about one thing. He couldn't allow himself to mate a human.

To her relief and disappointment, he rose off of her. Without a word to her, the still aroused lord grabbed his familiar traveling kimono and went behind his changing screen. Blushing, Flame turned her back to the lord while he changed. A few seconds later she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump in shock. She turned to see his molten honey gaze on her. His eyes were soft and gentle. “Get changed. We leave for the youkai witch today,” he stated.

Sesshomaru watched her while she got her clothes and went into his washroom. He found himself not wanting to allow her to go. He would never see her again and found the idea bothered him immensely. Truthfully, he wanted her to stay in the castle. Her admissions yesterday had made more of an impact than he had showed. He had found himself feeling happy that she loved him. He had only just been able to stop himself from admitting his own feelings for her. What good would it have done? He couldn't mate her like she deserved. It was best that he help her to get home despite how much he didn't want to.

Flame came back out wearing a simple red traveling kimono. Rubbing her arm shyly, she avoided looking at the imposing youkai. She wished she could crawl into a hole and die she was so embarrassed. She had almost had sex with this guy. This guy that she admittedly barely knew. Still, he had done things for her that were so kind. He had taken such good care of her while they had traveled. She found herself remembering his dog form fondly and smiling. She would miss him terribly when she was home.

Sighing almost sadly, Flame walked up to the patient lord. “I must ask a favor Lord Sesshomaru,” she said hesitantly.

“Hn,” was his only response as he gave a slight nod to show he was listening.

“Well, er.. I know you really don't like them but I need more clothes than these. Can we go to Inuyasha's group first?” she asked nervously, bracing for an angry response. Sure enough, Sesshomaru stiffened and drew a sharp breath.

“Yes but you will not go alone,” he growled, his eyes hard and cold.

“Thank you Lord Sesshomaru,” she replied, bowing slightly. He growled louder at her bow, grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to straighten.

“Do not bow to this Sesshomaru,” he hissed, his hand almost bruising her arms.

“I- I'm sorry,” she gasped out, wondering what on earth she had done wrong. He had never reacted this way to her bowing before.

Sesshomaru relented, releasing her arm slowly. After the week in wild with her and having her so close he saw her as an equal. His beast wanted to claim her as his mate and had raged at her show of being lower than him. He would no longer allow her to lower herself in front of him. Still, he had reacted a bit harshly due to his beast's rage. He inwardly winced at the small bruises forming on her arm. “I am sorry for hurting you,” he whispered softly.

Flame was taken aback by his apology. He had apologized almost every time he had wronged her. It made her feel like he respected her in a way. “Its okay. I'm not hurt,” she replied, blushing slightly.

“Yes, you are. I bruised you. I will have to be more careful from now on,” he responded quietly, looking into her eyes. Blushing violently, Flame looked away. He sounded so tender, so concerned. It almost sounded like her cared for her. Did she dare let herself believe that he did? No. It didn't matter. He was a demon lord. A taiyoukai of the west. He needed a pure blood demoness to mate with. At least that's what she assumed.

After a moment of awkward silence, Sesshomaru merely walked out of his room. Blinking, Flame sprinted to catch up to him. In her haste, she ran right into his rigid back. Stepping back and rubbing her sore nose, the small female stepped back with tears in her eyes. “Ouch, I have to stop doing that,” she muttered as the pain slowly faded.

She heard a light chuckle from the silver haired youkai before he began leading the way. Once they were outside, Flame was thrilled to see Ah-Un saddled and ready for travel. “Are Rin and Jaken coming too?” she asked, almost hoping they were. She had grown attached to the small child. The toad, on the other hand, could rot for all she cared.

“No. Rin is too upset that you're leaving. Jaken has to stay with her,” he replied, grabbing the two headed mount's reigns.

“Oh. Poor Rin. I'll miss her,” Flame responded sadly. She felt a wrench in her heart for the small girl. The child had grown so attached to her so quickly that Flame worried she'd never get over her leaving.

Almost reluctantly the black haired female climbed onto the dragon's saddle. Once she was seated securely, both Ah-Un and Sesshomaru rose on their clouds and into the air. As they started to fly away, Flame saw Rin running out into the front lawn. The small child was yelling and waving. Flame could barely hear her saying, “Please come back soon Flame-chan!.” Tears coming to her eyes, Flame waved back to Rin as they flew out of sight.

Flame turned to face front, wiping the tears from her eyes. Sesshomaru looked down at her with an understanding look before turning back to the front. They traveled in silence for a few moments before Flame asked, “Why do your servants hate me so much?”

“To most demons humans are no more than filth,” he replied, looking at her again, “Did any of them mistreat you?”

Flame paused, thinking about the servant youkai that had treated her like a dog. She didn't want to get any of the servants in trouble, so she decided to shake her head. Sesshomaru looked at her probingly for a long moment before returning his gaze to the front. She couldn't help but wonder if he could smell that she was lying. To her relief the issue dropped and they resumed traveling in silence. While they flew Flame couldn't resist the urge to rub Ah-Un's ears and neck. The double headed dragon purred softly at her scratches, making her smile.

Sesshomaru watched his human play with Ah-Un. The beast seemed to deeply enjoy the gentle scratches she gave him. The taiyoukai smiled slightly, ruffling the mane of one head. He had been able to smell her lie but had let it drop. He didn't want to upset her on what could be their last day together. He found himself wanting to just enjoy her company.

After a few minutes of flying Sesshomaru and Ah-Un began to descend into the forest. Once they landed, Sesshomaru helped Flame slide off of Ah-Un's back. He lead her into a clearing where Inuyasha stood with his sword drawn. As soon as the hanyou saw Flame, he lowered his sword. Kagome ran forward, giving the other female a tight hug. “Flame! I'm so glad to see you! You look great!” she exclaimed.

Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala relaxed immediately. The demon slayer also came forward as well as the fox kit. The group ushered Flame into the clearing, forcing her to take a seat on a log. Looking a bit bewildered, Flame waved them all off and giggled. “I just came to borrow some clothes from Kagome!” she exclaimed, smiling.

“But we're all so curious about what its like to live with Sesshomaru! How does he treat you?” Kagome asked curiously.

“He treats me just fine. He can be a bit rough sometimes but mostly he's a perfect gentleman,” she replied, avoiding Sesshomaru's hard gaze.

“Where are you going anyway?” asked Sango.

“Well we're on our way to a youkai witch who might have a way for me to get home. The only catch is I have to give her something really important to me,” she responded, noticing Sesshomaru was glaring at her.

“We can come with you! We can help make sure you'll be safe,” Kagome offered cheerfully.

“No,” Sesshomaru stated, a hard edge to his voice.

“Why not Sesshomaru?!” Kagome yelled, frowning at the angry taiyoukai.

“Aw come on Kagome. We have enough to do as it is! We don't have time to escort Sesshomaru and his pet to some witch,” Inuyasha groused.

“Sit boy! Flame I'm so sorry!” Kagome said, hugging Flame tight. What the hanyou had said had stung. 'Sesshomaru's pet? Is that really all I am?' she thought sorrowfully.

“Give her the clothing miko,” Sesshomaru growled, anger evident in his voice. Going stiff at the anger in his voice, Kagome rummaged through her huge, yellow backpack. After a few seconds she pulled two black shirts and two blue jeans out of her bag, handing them to Flame. Ignoring the twitching hanyou in the crater, Flame gave Kagome a tight hug. “Thank you Kagome. Don't worry. He's not as mean as he seems,” she said sincerely, trying to soothe the other's fears.

“Take care Flame. Come back if you can,” Kagome responded, smiling sadly.

“I wish I could have gotten to know all of you. Even the jerk in the hole,” Flame said sadly.

With a final wave to the group she knew so well from the anime, Flame followed the seething lord out to Ah-Un. Flame hung back in the forest a bit to change out of the kimono and into the clothes Kagome gave her. Once she was dressed, Flame climbed onto Ah-Un's back and stored the rest of her clothes in his saddle bag. Then she grasped the reigns and braced herself as they rose into the sky.

Sesshomaru was tense beside her as they traveled. In fact he never looked over at her while they flew. Figuring he was still angry over what Inuyasha said, Flame stayed quiet. Instead she pet and scratched the two headed beast. Ah-Un's left head licked her left hand as she scratched his right neck. Smiling, She gave the right head a gentle hug before doing the same to the left. “I'm going to miss you boy. I wish I had spent more time with you,” she said sadly.

“We're nearly there now,” Sesshomaru uttered, his voice sounding odd.

Flame looked around the dragon's heads to see a huge, black mountain rising in the distance. The air around the mountain glowed a sickly red and Flame's skin crackled with the evil in the air. She shuddered at the terrible feeling this place was giving her as they approached. She almost wanted to ask Sesshomaru to stop. Surely the being emanating this energy could be no good at all. “Lord Sesshomaru...,” she started hesitantly. The lord turned to look at her, his eyes soft and intense.

“I-I'll miss you too,” she finished lamely, looking away. As much as she feared what was to come, she just wanted to go home. Didn't she?

Within minutes they were within sight of a craggy outcrop with a cave on top. The cave was glowing a low, deep, red, pulsing light. Just the sight of it made Flame feel sick in her soul. There was something terribly wrong about that light. Something deeply evil. Ah-Un suddenly stopped midair and refused to approach any further. The two headed dragon youkai was shaking and rearing. Flame had to hang on to the reigns for dear life.

Sesshomaru grabbed a hold of the left head, forcing the dragon youkai to look him in the eyes. Slowly, the beast calmed but still shook like a leaf. Narrowing his eyes, the taiyoukai formed a barrier around them and lowered them slowly towards the cave. The closer they got, the more the two headed mounted shuddered. The beasts eyes were wide with fear, almost as if it was taking everything he had to stay calm.

When they landed, Flame slid off Ah-Un's back and was picked up by Sesshomaru. The tall demon cradled her in one arm like she weighed nothing and proceeded to walk towards the ominous entrance of the cave. He formed another barrier around them as they went. “Do you still wish to do this Flame?” Sesshomaru asked quietly, as he walked into the red cave. Deep within they heard a hoarse noise that sounded like insane laughter.

“Yes,” she replied with more resolve than she felt. Inside everything was screaming that this was wrong, that something horrible was going to happen to her.

Sesshomaru nodded, going further into the cave until they entered a large, stone chamber. The huge cauldron in the middle of the room spewed forth black, almost liquid like smoke. The substance emitted the pulsing red light as it stopped short of the cauldron. Behind the horrible objects sat a hunched, black cloaked figure. The figure rocked back and forth, twitching occasionally. “You seek a door to the future,” croaked an inhuman, almost animal-like voice.

“Yes, witch. What must we pay?” Sesshomaru growled, setting Flame on her feet.

“Much and yet very little. You won't even notice its gone, I assure you,” the thing hissed.

“Yet you won't tell me what the price is,” Sesshomaru responded icily.

“I'm afraid I can't tell you what it is. No one has ever heard the secret and none ever will,” it croaked.

Sesshomaru bristled as he wrapped his arm around Flame. “If you will not tell us what she must give than we will leave,” he growled.

“Peace Lord of the Western Lands,” it growled, “I can promise she will not be harmed.” Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, stepping forward.

“What must we do?” he asked, holding Flame slightly behind him. Flame cowered behind him, holding onto his fluffy tail.

“She must drink a cup of the fluid from that cauldron. I will then open a door to her home,” the horrible thing snarled. Flame recoiled in horror, looking at the oozing cauldron. Whatever that glowing stuff was, she certainly didn't want it in her body.

“Why do I have to drink that?” she asked in terror.

“It will stop my portal from tearing you apart my dear,” the thing hissed. It reached a blackened, rotted claw towards her, offering a wooden cup. Reluctantly, Flame reached toward the horrible thing and took the cup. Then, with Sesshomaru close beside her, she approached the oozing cauldron. She stopped just short of the thick, liquid like smoke that puddled around it. To her relief, Sesshomaru took the cup and filled it from the cauldron for her.

Reluctantly, he handed her the vile, tar like fluid. The ooze bubbled darkly and smelled like rotting meat. Flame nearly vomited from the sight of it. “Drink but a mouthful,” the thing ordered hoarsely. Hands shaking, Flame slowly took a small mouthful of the thick, hot liquid. As quick as she could, she swallowed the horrible brew down, trying not to gag. The horrible fluid slid down her throat thickly, making her want to vomit. She had to fight valiantly to keep the concoction down.

Suddenly her head was spinning and she lost her balance as a hole in reality opened before her. Blearily she saw her house and started heading toward the hole. Sesshomaru grabbed her hand to stop her, not wanting her to go when it was finally time. “Flame, stay with me. I can't stand to let you leave,” he finally admitted.

To his horror, she looked back at him blankly. There was no recognition in her eyes. A fear that hurt his soul filled her eyes as she started to fight him. “Let me go! Who are you? How did I get here?” she cried, trying to pull away. Finally she managed to wrench herself away, falling backward through the hole.

“Flame! No! Its me, Sesshomaru! What the hell did you do to her?” he yelled and was the last thing she heard before the hole closed. Flame stared at the blue sky where the hole was for a moment before she fainted.

“What did you do?!” roared the enraged lord as he lifted the frail, cackling thing.

“She has paid in full. Even if you kill me I will not die Sesshomaru,” the horrible thing cackled as it writhed back and forth in his grip. With a loud growl, Sesshomaru threw the thing into a stone wall with all the strength he could muster. As soon as the body made contact with the stone, it exploded but the thing's cackle still echoed.

Holding his ears, Sesshomaru ran from the cave until he reached the panicked Ah-Un. The two headed dragon was rearing and roaring in near hysteria in its want to escape. Sesshomaru grabbed the reigns, rising into the sky while the laughter followed him. For the first time in years he felt deep sorrow fill his heart. The witch had taken her memory, Flame would never remember him. Even if she did, she could never come back.

Finally, he decided to gather Rin and Jaken and head for Inuyasha's group. The miko dressed like Flame liked to, maybe she came from the same time. Maybe she could lead him to the future. His beast raged inside him, berating him for losing his mate. Sesshomaru held his head in his hands as he tried to quiet his beast. Slowly he regained control of his emotions and some of his stoicism. No matter what it took he would find a way to bring her back. He would make her remember him. If he ever heard of the witch again he would make sure the thing died permanently. Gripping Tokijin's hilt tightly, he landed in his courtyard.


	13. Need to Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for the delay with the updates. I was nearly done with two chapters of two fics at once so I wanted to focus on that.

Cold, damp and pointy. Groggily, Flame opened her hazel eyes to see the sun setting. Had she fallen asleep in her yard? That would explain that dream. That man had sounded so sad. Why had he seemed so familiar. His hair and face made something deep inside her cry out in pain. Shaking her head, she got to her feet and hobbled into her western style house.

Turning on the light, she noticed a huge pile of mail as well as several messages on her answering machine. What had happened to her and for how long? Where had her time gone? Did have to do with the silver haired man that was calling her name? Questions making her head dizzy, she sorted through the mail until she found the most recent date. According to her mail she had been gone thirteen days. Suddenly feeling faint, she laid down on her brown leather couch and draped an arm over her eyes. “What happened?” she asked the empty house.

The last thing she remembered was getting a fang necklace from an anime merchandise store and going to sleep. Suddenly a flash of amber eyes shot through her mind. Something in her mind cramped in an effort to remember those eyes. Somewhere, deep inside, she felt those eyes meant something to her. “What the hell is going on?!” she wailed, flailing in frustration. That was when she noticed the clothes she was wearing. They were definitely not hers. Where had they come from? Why was she wearing them? Why couldn't she remember anything?

With a frustrated noise, the black haired female sat up. Maybe the fang would give her a clue. It was the last thing she could remember after all. Happy with her plan, Flame went up the stairs to her room. To her relief the necklace was still on her night-stand. Picking up the small tooth, she examined it closely. There wasn't anything unusual about it. In fact it almost resembled a longer human canine tooth.

Disappointed, she put the necklace around her neck. Suddenly she could swear she felt a hand on her shoulder and hot breath on her neck. Visions of the amber eyed, silver haired man filled her head. His eyes were full of sorrow as he held her against him. “Come back,” he whispered into her ear. With a shock she came back to herself, her heart racing. What had that been about? Why was her heart aching as if it was breaking? Suddenly she noticed the fang on the necklace was warm and glowing blue.

With a shaky hand, she grasped the fang. “What are you trying to tell me?” she asked the object. The fang glowed slightly brighter before stopping. Shaking her head, she changed into some clothes that actually belonged to her. She chose a deep red t-shirt and blue jeans. She set aside the clothes, shoes and socks as a mystery to be solved later. Resigning herself to the fact that she would get no more answers tonight, she went downstairs to make herself some food.

Sesshomaru stormed into his castle, growling loudly. As soon as the servants saw him coming, they dodged out of his way. None of them dared ask why he was angry. His hard gaze rested briefly on the servant that had treated Flame badly during breakfast. She stiffened, wondering briefly if he knew what she had done. He narrowed his eyes at her before returning his gaze to the front. He could smell her guilt but he had more important things to attend to.

Rin bounced the yellow and orange ball off Jaken's head with a small giggle. Her eyes were full of sorrow and loneliness. She missed Flame already. The older female hadn't been around long but Rin had enjoyed her company. It had been nice to have another human to talk to. Every time she tried to talk to the servants they would shun her or glare at her.

As the ball bounced back, the angry toad turned toward her and flailed his staff. “How dare you treat me like a mere toy!” he yelled, waving his arms. Rin merely rolled her eyes, walking away from the yelling demon slowly. As she walked, she noticed a familiar shadow on the ground and looked up. A smile broke on her face as she saw Lord Sesshomaru walking into the garden. Eagerly she ran toward him until she saw his expression. Stopping in her tracks, she resumed walking towards him much more slowly. Lord Sesshomaru was furious. She had only seen him so furious around Inuyasha and she wondered what happened.

“Rin, Jaken we are going on a trip,” he announced, still walking towards them.

“Yes m'lord. I would travel with you anywhere,” Jaken squawked, waddling towards the enraged taiyoukai and grabbing onto one of his pants legs. Sesshomaru seemed to take no notice of the toad clinging to him and dragged the poor creature along as he walked. Rin fell in behind him as he led the way back out to the courtyard.

Gently, Sesshomaru lifted the small girl onto the still shaking Ah-Un. Rin had never seen the two headed mount so scared. Comfortingly, the small girl rubbed the left neck. Slowly, the dragon youkai calmed and began to be still. As Rin patted Ah-Un, Jaken clambered onto the huge saddle behind the child. Once all of them had settled, the seething youkai grabbed the reigns. Slowly, both of them rose into the air and flew towards the east.

Rin watched the stiff, quiet lord with concern. Something must have happened to Flame on her way home. With how angry he looked, she didn't dare ask. Jaken also noticed Sesshomaru's mood and stayed uncharacteristically quiet. They flew in silence for twenty minutes, neither of the passengers daring to break it. Then, without warning, Sesshomaru and Ah-Un began to descend into the forest. “Where are we going Lord Sesshomaru?” Jaken asked.

“We are going to meet with Inuyasha's group,” he responded quietly, not looking at Jaken.

“Why m'lord?! He's caused you nothing but trouble! Surely he has nothing you need!” Jaken squalled. Sesshomaru's jaw clenched but he didn't answer his retainer. Seeing his lord tense, Jaken subsided into silence.

Slowly they came down until they landed in the middle of Inuyasha's group's camp. Immediately Inuyasha was drawing his sword and standing in front of his pack. The monk had his hand on some sacred beads on his right arm and the demon slayer was holding her huge boomerang at the ready. Only Kagome didn't have a weapon at the ready. “Hold on! He has Rin and Jaken with him! I don't think he's here to fight,” she shouted. The others, seeming to notice Rin and Jaken on Ah-Un, lowered their weapons. The only exception was Inuyasha.

The white haired hanyou's pointed ears were pressed against his head as he snarled at his half brother. “What do you want Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha barked, pointing his sword at the taiyoukai.

“I wish to speak with the Miko,” he stated simply.

“Over my dead body!” Inuyasha shouted.

“Sit boy!” Kagome interjected. With a small noise, Inuyasha's necklace flashed and he was cratered into the ground.

“What's going on Sesshomaru? Where's Flame?” asked the young woman as she stepped over the hanyou's prone body.

“That is why I wish to speak with you Kagome. If it will make the half breed feel better, we will talk here,” he replied, tensing slightly.

“What happened?” she asked quietly, her brown eyes going wide. Sesshomaru sighed deeply, then went into a concise tale of what happened.

Once he had finished talking, Sesshomaru was surprised to feel Kagome's small arms wrapped around him. Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he crawled out of the crater. “Get away from him Kagome,” he growled, trying to raise his sword.

“Sit boy!” she shouted, not releasing her hold on Sesshomaru. Once again Inuyasha was slammed into the ground by the magical force of the beads.

“So Flame went back to her time but her memory got wiped in the process. Did she ever tell you where she lived?” Kagome asked.

“Some place called Hokkaido,” he responded, his face showing no emotion.

“Geeze, that's quite a ways away from where I live. Her name is unusual though, so it should be easy to find her in theory,” Kagome pondered.

“So you could find her?” Sesshomaru asked, his voice not showing the hope he felt.

“Yes, but I'm not sure I could get to her. Getting to Hokkaido costs a lot of money in my time,” she replied, her face falling.

Sesshomaru felt the hopes he had get dashed in one sentence. “Could I get to your time and look for her?” he asked, not willing to give up.

“I don't think so. Shippo's tried to come to my time before and was blocked,” she replied hesitantly. Sesshomaru felt his heart drop at her reply. There was no way for him to get to her. With a silent bow, the stoic taiyoukai grabbed Ah-Un's reigns and rose into the air.

“I hope you find her,” Kagome called after him. Behind her, an angry looking half demon crawled out of the crater in the ground.

Sesshomaru flew without a direction, his eyes not seeing where he was going. She was probably gone forever and there was nothing he could do. His heart lurched in his chest at the thought. Slowly he remembered Rin and Jaken riding on the dragon youkai beside him. Rin was looking up at him with wide, sad eyes. “Flame-chan's not coming back is she?” she asked quietly. Sesshomaru tensed, turning his gaze back to the front.

“Yes, she is. I'll make sure of it,” he answered, a cold edge to his voice. Slowly he steered towards his castle. He would find a way to find her if it killed him.

Gasping, Flame sat up with her black hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Visions of the silver haired man filled her mind. In her dream he had changed into a giant canine and had started licking her. She had pet the huge dog with a feeling of contentment and peace. Suddenly a baritone voice had whispered, “Please, remember me,” in her ear, causing her to wake up.

With a frustrated groan, the sleepy female swung her legs out of bed. She desperately wanted to remember the man and why her heart lurched every time she heard his voice. He seemed so familiar. Almost as if she had seen him on a show or something. Sighing, she put the fang necklace back on before going downstairs. She had called all her family and friends yesterday to let them know she was okay. She had to tell them she had gone on a trip and forgot to tell anyone to avoid problems.

Pouring herself some cereal and milk, she put in an anime dvd and sat on the couch. As the anime opened, she nearly spat out her cereal. The man popped up during the opening to the anime, shocking her to silence. Pausing the opening on a frame with the man, she scurried to grab the box for the dvds. “Inuyasha, huh? Is there names for characters anywhere in here?” she asked as she opened the box. Inside was an information sheet about the episodes on the disks. Unfortunately there was nothing to tell her the man's name.

At least she had something to work form now. She would deal with the fact that the man couldn't possibly exist later. Maybe if she could remember his name, she would remember where she had been for the past thirteen days. Determined to regain her memories, Flame started to watch the episode and hoped his name would be mentioned.

Sesshomaru hadn't left his study since the previous night. Several of his servants were worried and milled about just outside the door. Rin and Jaken were beside themselves with worry and debated going in to check on him. Inside Sesshomaru was surrounded by books, stacks and stacks of books. He had been pouring over them all night for any way to get to Flame. So far he had come up empty.

With a frustrated growl, he slammed a huge volume shut as he stood. He had read every book in his library pertaining to artifacts or magic. Nothing in his vast library could help him get his human back. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Sesshomaru paced the spacious room. He couldn't just sit here and give up on ever seeing her again. Yet he was at a loss of what to do now. He had the largest collection of books in the land, there was no hope of anyone having information that he didn't. Right now it looked like he was stuck. Clenching his hand into a fist, he stared at the stacks of unhelpful books. Right now he wanted nothing more than to throw one out his window.

After a few episodes, Flame finally heard the mystery man's name. It was 'Sesshomaru'. Unfortunately the name didn't bring back any memories with it. In frustration she shut the anime off and flung the T.V. Remote onto the coffee table in front of her. Suddenly the fang pulsed on her neck and she had a flash of a memory. She was riding on a giant white animal in a forest. The animal's motion was gentle and lulling her to sleep. As she dozed on the beast's back she heard a voice plead “You must remember Flame.”

Flame came back to reality with a start. Glaring, she tugged at the string the fang was on. “What are you trying to tell me?! What do I need to remember? Who is this Sesshomaru to me?!” she yelled exasperatedly. The fang merely glowed gently before going dark. With a growl, she stuffed the object under her shirt. She needed to draw to get her mind off all this mystery.

In a huff, she grabbed her drawing pad and pencils and went out her front door. Her face set in an angry frown, she stomped off into the woods. Plopping down on a cool rock, she looked around for anything to sketch. Unfortunately none of her animals friends were around today. With a small sigh she began to draw from her imagination. Soon she was drawing anthro animal characters all over her sketchbook.

It wasn't long until she found herself sketching Sesshomaru. The eyes on the sketchpad looked haunted and sad. “I can't even get away from you out here,” she whispered to the graphite sketch. Flipping the page, she began sketching the white canine from her dreams. It was then she noticed the similarities between the dog and the man. They had similar markings on their faces, making her wonder if they could be related in a way.

“Just what are you anyway?” she asked the sketch of the dog as she stood up.

Having enough drawing for one day, the young woman walked back to her house. Once she got back, she was shocked to find two hours had passed. Flinging her sketchpad down, Flame flopped onto her couch with a sigh. More questions than answers filled her head. “I'm already tired of the questions,” she sighed to herself.

Cautiously, Rin reached a small hand forward and knocked on the large, wooden door. Slowly, the door opened and Rin walked inside. Sesshomaru was sitting behind his desk with his head in his hands. He looked up at the small child with a haunted gaze. “Lord Sesshomaru,” Rin gasped, running forward. Gently, she hugged the tired taiyoukai. Sesshomaru smiled softly, hugging her back.

“Don't worry, she'll come back,” Rin whispered, no doubt in her voice. Sesshomaru pulled back to look in the child's brown eyes.

“Yes, if nothing else Kagome can contact her in some way,” he replied, trying to sound more sure than he felt.

The child's confidence made his spirits raise slightly. Maybe there was a way to send long distance communication in the future. Maybe Kagome was on her way back now and had thought of that. He would have to check back with Inuyasha's group in a few days. Ruffling the worried child's hair, Sesshomaru walked out of his study. Rin followed close behind him as he nearly bowled over Jaken. Ignoring Jaken's outraged squawks, the taiyoukai headed towards Flame's old room.

Once Rin saw where he was heading, she deemed it best to leave him alone and headed towards the garden. Sesshomaru opened the door that led to Flame's room and stepped inside. It still smelled like her in here and he inhaled deeply as he shut the door. Almost in a trance, he walked toward her bed. Almost tenderly, he brushed his clawed hand along the silk sheets. “Flame, remember me,” he whispered to the empty room.

Gingerly, he sat on the silk sheets, feeling the mattress sink beneath him. Finally he let his feelings wash over him. Sadness washed over him like a tidal wave. “Why did I let you go?” he whispered, feeling a tightness in his chest. Inside his beast raved and raged. How dare he lose their mate? How dare he let her forget them? How could he call himself a dog demon? Gripping his head in his hands, he tried to stop his emotions from spiraling out of control. Slowly, he came back to himself. “Flame... come back,” he whispered.


	14. Where the Heart is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: You ever notice clouds? I like clouds... :3

Flame awoke, a sob trapped in her throat. She had another dream about this Sesshomaru person. He was holding her gently and nuzzling her hair. They had been in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. When she turned to look in his eyes, they looked sad and haunted as always. “Please, come back,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her. She could feel the overwhelming sorrow he felt as their lips came close to kissing. That had been when she had woken up.

Holding her now throbbing head in her hands, she tried to forget her dreams. Over the past few days they had been coming more and more frequently. She was now daydreaming about Sesshomaru every hour on the hour. Every time it was something that felt like a memory and left her sobbing. Such deep sadness filled the dreams as well as her heart. Just thinking about Sesshomaru was enough to make her want to break down crying and she had no idea why. She felt as if she was slowly going mad.

The necklace hadn't been any help either. The thing just kept glowing and showing her things she didn't remember but felt she should. The only useful thing had been to watch more Inuyasha. At least now the giant dog made more sense. She had watched the episode where Sesshomaru had transformed and had been thrilled that at least one mystery was solved.

Sighing, she put the small strip of leather tied to the fang over her neck. As much as she wanted to just leave the thing off for one day, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had tried to go one day without wearing the necklace and had given in to her urge in an hour. Something about the small bit of enamel was oddly comforting to her. Nowadays she didn't feel whole unless she had it on.

Once she had dressed and prepped for the day, the tired female stumbled downstairs. She hadn't gotten a good nights sleep since she had come home. She was bone tired but every time she closed her eyes she saw Sesshomaru. Yawning, Flame stumbled to the front door to get her mail. A small pile of letters lay on her welcome mat and she picked them up. Tottering back to the kitchen, she shuffled through her mail. She stopped when she saw a letter from someone she didn't know. Someone named Kagome.

Setting the mysterious letter down, Flame made herself a bowl of cereal. Then she picked up the letter, sat on the couch and began to open it as she ate. As she read the long letter, she soon forgot about eating. The person who sent the letter wrote about where she had been for the thirteen lost days. According to the letter she had been in another time. When she had finished the letter, she set it down along with her bowl of cereal.

It seemed fantastic but apparently she had been in the feudal era. As she mulled over the information in the letter, it dawned on her that Kagome was another person from the anime Inuyasha. “All of this is impossible!” she cried, holding her head. There was no way she could have been in an anime the whole time. Yet it was the only explanation she had.

Suddenly the fang around her neck started to glow blue. Once again her head was filled with visions of Sesshomaru. They were sitting in a garden talking and looking into each other's eyes. He was asking her questions about her time and she was asking about demons. The feeling of deja vu from the vision was overpowering. Suddenly she heard his baritone voice whispering in her ear. “Remember,” he whispered before she came back to reality.

“I'm trying to remember,” she murmured in despair, clutching the fang. She was grateful to Kagome for sending the letter. It didn't tell her much but it told her enough. At least now she knew where she had been. Finishing her breakfast, she washed her dishes before going back to the couch. She laid down on the cool, brown leather with a sigh.

“How am I going to remember?” she whispered to herself, covering her eyes with her arm. She would just have to let the memories come, but then what?

Sesshomaru had been in his study for several days, refusing to see anyone. Inside, the western lord was pacing a hole in his carpet. His jaw was clenched and his hand was fisted behind his back as he paced. He was waiting what he thought was an appropriate amount of time for Kagome to send Flame a letter. At least he hoped she would send a letter. With no way of knowing what was going on, Sesshomaru had become antsy and impatient. “It has been long enough, I'm going to find Kagome,” he murmured to himself.

Frowning in frustration, Sesshomaru opened his door. To his surprise Rin and Jaken were asleep against the wall opposite the door. His expression becoming one of concern, Sesshomaru knelt and placed his hand on Rin's shoulder. Gently, he shook until the child opened her eyes. “Mmmm Lord Sesshomaru?!” she asked with a yawn.

Suddenly the child was wide awake and wrapping her arms around Sesshomaru's neck. “Lord Sesshomaru! I'm so glad you're okay!” she sobbed. Tenderly, the western lord wrapped his silk clad arm around the child.

“Lord Sesshomaru, I'm so relieved you're alright,” Jaken wept, rubbing his tear filled eyes.

“I am going to find Kagome,” he announced, looking only at Rin. Rin's eyes went wide with sorrow as she clung to Sesshomaru even tighter.

“Don't worry, you'll be coming with me,” he added, picking up Rin in his one arm and straightening. Rin sighed in relief, snuggling against Sesshomaru.

“Of course I'm coming too,” Jaken squawked, hobbling after Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru only kept walking, ignoring everything else.

Once he was outside, Sesshomaru formed his cloud under himself. Jaken clung to his leg with a loud wail as the cloud rose in the air. “You almost left me behind!” the angry toad squalled.

“Oh be quiet Jaken!” Rin shouted, still clinging to Sesshomaru's neck. The small child seemed reluctant to release her hold on the lord just yet. Noticing this, Sesshomaru gently gave her a hug as best he could with the arm holding her.

“I will not be quiet, you insolent child! How dare you order me around!” Jaken yelled, waving his stubby arms.

“Be quiet Jaken,” Sesshomaru responded, sounding annoyed. The small youkai recoiled in horror before subsiding into silent sobs. 'Why is Lord Sesshomaru treating me this way?' he thought to himself miserably as his huge eyes filled with tears.

They rode to southeast for several miles. During this trip Rin had finally loosened her hold on Sesshomaru's neck. The small child was staring at the passing foliage below with an avid fascination. Jaken was sitting on the back edge of the cloud pouting. After a few minutes more the cloud began to descend towards a small village. Inwardly Sesshomaru winced as they descended. His arrival would not be well received here.

As he landed several of the villagers ran in panic screaming. Drawn by the commotion, Kaede came out of her hut with her bow drawn. As soon as she saw Rin, Jaken and Sesshomaru she lowered her bow. “What do ye want here?” she asked. The old woman was dressed in priestess robes and wore an eye patch. Her long, silver hair was tied back with a black ribbon. She was hunched over with age but still looked quite capable of defending herself.

“I'm here to see Kagome,” he responded neutrally. Rin ran towards Kaede, her arms outstretched and a smile on her freckled face.

“Ay, I will get her for ye,” Kaede sighed, ruffling Rin's brown hair as she shuffled back into the hut. A few seconds after the old woman had gone in, Kagome came out. The young woman was wearing her normal school uniform and she smiled when she saw Rin, Sesshomaru and Jaken.

“I know why you're here. I sent her a letter telling her everything I knew about her time here. It was the best I could do,” Kagome said, giving Rin a hug.

“Have you gotten any word from her in return?” he asked, his gaze intense.

“Not yet. I don't even know if she'll respond,” she answered, straightening.

“I want to be led to where you go to the future,” he responded, looking very serious.

“You won't be able to get through Sesshomaru but I'll take you there,” Kagome responded almost nervously. At first, when it seemed like she was going to refuse him, Sesshomaru had gotten very tense and his eyes had started to bleed red.

Kagome led the small group through Inuyasha's Forest until they reached a clearing with a broken down well in the middle. Sesshomaru looked at the small, wooden well with a skeptical look. “This is where I go back and forth,” Kagome stated simply.

“How?” Sesshomaru asked, staring at the small, wooden structure.

“I just jump in and the well takes me. Look, even if you can travel to the future, Hokkaido is really far away! You'd need a plane to get there,” she informed him. Ignoring the last part of what she said, Sesshomaru walked towards the well until he was looking down into it. Rin followed close behind, looking into the well curiously.

“I keep trying to tell you no one can travel through except Inuyasha and me,” Kagome stated, coming towards Sesshomaru and the well.

“I have to try,” he whispered so quietly that Kagome could barely hear him.

“I'll go first then. I'll wait a few minutes, then come back if you don't come through,” she offered, hopping up onto the well's edge. Her stocking covered legs dangled over the edge as she waited for his reply. Sesshomaru nodded to show he understood the plan before Kagome hopped into the well. To Sesshomaru's surprise the girl diving into the well was followed by a bright blue flash.

“Wait here for me Rin,” Sesshomaru ordered before jumping into the well himself.

He plunged into an endless void that resembled the stars in the sky. The wind from his movement blew his long, silver hair back. Then he slowed down and his booted feet met the ground. There was no longer a blue sky above him, instead there was a roof. The air smelled rotten and stale, the stench was enough to almost make him gag. The noise was another matter. His sensitive hearing was overwhelmed with a cacophony of unpleasant noise. He almost wanted to jump back through. The world here was far worse than anything he had ever experienced.

With a swift jump he was out of the well and standing before a confused looking Kagome. “Why does it stink here? What is all that noise?” the irritated western lord growled. He hated to admit it but he was beginning to feel fear. He hadn't even gone outside the house that held the well and he was overwhelmed.

“There's a lot more humans around in this time. We use vehicles called cars to travel around and these cars make a lot of pollution. Also there are a lot of factories that do the same,” Kagome explained. Sesshomaru nodded, not too happy with the explanation.

“What is pollution? Is that what makes the air stink?” he asked, heading to the closed double doors of the building.

“Yes but wait before you go out! There are a few things you should know about this time,” she said, grabbing hold of his empty left sleeve. Sesshomaru looked back at the young woman, one brow arched.

“There aren't any demons here. At least none that I've seen or sensed. You'll need to disguise yourself to look like a human. Also you can't go around killing everything you see,” Kagome stated, looking in his amber eyes.

“Hn,” he responded before opening the doors. Sun hit his eyes, making him squint and shield them with his hand. He would do everything she asked except one, he wouldn't disguise himself as a human. While he was stunned by the sunlight, Kagome grabbed his hand and tried to lead him to her house. Instead of following he yanked his hand free of hers.

“Which way is Hokkaido?” he asked.

“Its to the north but you can't go until you've changed your clothes,” she responded, pointing. Without another word Sesshomaru formed his cloud, rose into the sky and flew off toward the north.

Flame flung paint onto a white canvas as hard as she could. She made angry slashes of red on the canvas, making sure to avoid the blue she had just thrown on. She followed the slashes of red with small splatters of orange and yellow. She was dressed in a paint smeared painter's smock and had on paint splattered safety goggles. Breathing heavily, Flame lifted the smeared goggles to survey her work. “No, no this won't do at all,” she sighed exasperatedly. She flung her brushes down and stormed out of the room. She just couldn't bear to look at the canvas anymore.

She had started painting in an effort to take her mind off Sesshomaru but had failed. All the while she had been painting the fang had shown her more forgotten memories. Each memory getting closer and closer to them kissing. It made her wonder just what her relationship with Sesshomaru was. It only made it more awkward that she was beginning to feel arousal during the daydreams. Even now her loins tingled from a recent memory the fang showed her.

With a frustrated growl, she flopped down on the couch face first. Grabbing a pillow, she stuffed her face into it and screamed. Surprisingly, that helped her feel better. Relieved of a bit of her inner tension, Flame sat up. She found her gaze wandering to the Inuyasha dvds and sighed. “Well I can't do anymore artwork today. My muse has gone to Tahiti,” she muttered to herself as she got up and put a dvd in. Maybe watching more of the anime would help her regain her memory.

A few episodes later Flame shut off the T.V. in disgust. So far Sesshomaru hadn't shown up very often. The show seemed to mostly be about his half brother and his group. While the show was interesting, it seemed like a dry hole to learn more about Sesshomaru or her memories. Suddenly the fang pulsed and the whole room was bathed in blue light as it glowed brightly. Brighter than it had ever glowed before.

To her shock she saw Sesshomaru standing in her living room staring at her. It had to be an illusion. Flame rubbed her eyes in the hope of making the image go away. When she opened her eyes again he was right in front of her. His clawed hand was brushing a strand of black hair out of her eyes. Flame felt a spike of arousal from the simple gesture and blushed. It certainly didn't feel like an illusion. “I'm coming soon,” Sesshomaru whispered, resting his forehead against hers. Suddenly he vanished and the fang stopped glowing. Flame was left feeling weak in the knees as well as aroused.

“What was that about?!” she asked the empty room. Was Sesshomaru really coming? How? She only knew of one way to travel through time from the show but it was impossible. Only Kagome or Inuyasha could travel using the well. If that was the case why had the fang shown her what it had? Why was the fang showing her these things at all? Questions buzzed in her head until she couldn't stand it any longer.

“Enough!” she shouted springing to her feet. Grasping the fang hard, she glared.

“I just want to go back. Take me back so I can find out what happened,” she muttered to the air. The fang pulsed in her hand, making her scream in surprise. Suddenly her whole body was tingling and glowing blue. Was the fang the reason she had gone there in the first place?

With a loud bang, her door suddenly slammed open and she saw Sesshomaru standing there. The real Sesshomaru. His eyes looked wild and desperate as he searched the room. Finally his gaze landed on Flame and relief filled his face. Then he noticed she was glowing and floating slightly above the ground. “What's happening?!” he exclaimed running towards her.

“It's sending me to the past again,” she responded, her eyes filling with unbidden tears. Her heart screamed for him to stop her, to keep her with him. Her body slowly became transparent as the fang continued to send her to the Feudal Era.

“I just found you! You can't leave again!” he shouted, desperation edging into his voice.

“Find me in the past. I hope I end up somewhere safe,” she responded, tears now rolling down her cheeks. Sesshomaru reached toward her fading body, his hand phasing right through her. Then she was gone and he was alone.

“I will find you again, I promise,” he whispered to the empty room. Then he went outside and flew on his cloud back to the well.


	15. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: *watches Miyazaki in the background while editing chapters*

Uncomfortable. Pointy. Warm. Flame came to in the middle of a huge, peaceful field. The sun was shining down on her as she came back to her senses. The air around her was so pure it almost smelled sweet and let her know she wasn't in Kansas anymore. Getting to her feet, Flame brushed herself off and looked around. She was surrounded by dense forest with no signs of civilization around her. Flame teetered on calling out to someone but remembered from what she saw of the show that the place was swarming with demons.

Staring at the quiet forest around her, Flame contemplated whether she should go look for help or stay there. From what little she saw from the show, Inuyasha had heightened senses and he was only half demon. Would Sesshomaru's be doubly as strong because he was a full demon? Would it be easier for him to find her if she stayed in one place? Or would he have wanted her to find someplace safe to wait for him? With a frustrated sigh, Flame decided to try to find help. It would do neither of them any good if she got eaten while waiting for him.

Grasping the fang around her neck, Flame chose to walk to the east. Something about the forest seemed familiar and kept pricking at the back of her mind. As she approached a huge, scarred tree it came to her. She was in Inuyasha's Forest which meant she was close to Kaede's village. Turning to the north, she kept walking. To her relief she saw the well in a clearing ahead. Flame walked past the well and into the village.

A few moments after she had walked by, Sesshomaru came out of the well with Kagome. As soon as his feet met the ground he was sniffing the air for any sign of her scent. She was close! In a flash he ran into the village, leaving Kagome behind. Villagers ran in front of him as he frantically followed Flame's scent. Her scent led him to Kaede's house and he stopped outside the small hut. Inside he could faintly hear female voices conversing.

Hearing the commotion outside, Kaede came out of her hut with her bow at the ready. Once she saw Sesshomaru she lowered her bow. “Ye again?! I suppose ye came for the young lass in my hut now. I'll go get her,” Kaede said with annoyance in her voice. As she waddled back inside the small, wooden hut the old woman grumbled something about dog demons. A few second after she disappeared, Flame came out nervously.

Her heart was beating in her throat and she couldn't stop her eyes from roaming all over his body. He was like a god carved from alabaster and dressed in silk. His silken hair blew in the wind and his amber eyes became soft and honey colored as he saw her. “Flame...,” he whispered, tenderness slipping into his voice. His hand twitched by his side as if he was restraining himself.

“I suppose you're Sesshomaru?” she asked nervously. Sesshomaru blinked before he remembered her memories of him were all gone.

“Yes but how did you know that? Your memories were erased,” Sesshomaru inquired, tilting his head.

“Oh, well in my time there's this show...” she started to say.

“You've already told me this,” he interrupted.

“Oh...,” was her only reply. Her heart still fluttered in her chest from his voice and her knees felt weak. She could feel her loins pulsing from arousal just from his presence. “What is wrong with me?! I barely know this guy!” she thought to herself angrily. Then she remembered that many of the supposed memories the fang had showed her showed them as being close to each other.

“I'm so confused,” she murmured to herself, gripping her head in her hands. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. She found herself looking into Sesshomaru's soft, honey colored eyes.

“I know. We will find some way to restore your memory,” Sesshomaru whispered. He could smell her arousal as well as her confusion. His beast roared at him to comfort her in quite a physical way. Sesshomaru squashed his beast's intentions mercilessly. Now was not the time to try to become intimate with her. His arm itched to hold her close and never let her go but he didn't dare with Kaede staring at him.

“Thank you, for everything. Even the things I can't remember,” Flame responded.

“Hn,” he responded, forming his cloud under them. As they rose into the air Kagome came running up to them.

“Before you go! I gathered some of my extra clothes for you! I don't wear them anymore and I thought you might need them. I also included some extra things for you. Come see us soon!” Kagome exclaimed handing her a large, lime green backpack.

“Thank you Kagome,” Flame responded, taking the backpack. Kagome smiled and waved as the cloud rose into the sky.

As soon as they were in the sky Sesshomaru pulled her close to him with his right and only arm. Flame blushed deeply and looked up at the stoic lord. Sesshomaru's eyes were fixed on her as if he never wanted to let her out of sight again. Something inside Flame responded the same way and she clung to him tightly. Her heart galloped in her chest as she read his eyes. They were warm and filled with a strong emotion she couldn't identify.

“Why am I responding to you like this?” she asked, blushing deeply.

“Before you lost your memory you confessed having tender feelings for me,” he responded quietly. His eyes kept roaming over her as if he couldn't get enough. Flame made a small, embarrassed noise before hiding her blazing face in his kimono shirt. He made a low growling noise that almost sounded like purring and rubbed her arm once.

Their eye contact broke when they landed. Flame blinked and looked around, realizing that they were outside a huge palace. They were surrounded by a tall, smooth, white, stone wall and a huge palace loomed before them. “I remember this place from what the fang showed me,” she whispered in awe. Did that mean that everything the fang had showed her had happened?

“Let me see this fang,” Sesshomaru requested, holding out his hand for it. Flame clutched the small object, fear briefly coming over her face. Then, reluctantly, she took the leather sting off her neck and put the necklace in his hand.

Sesshomaru brought the necklace up to his face so he could examine it. He sniffed the fang delicately and examined it closely. To his surprise he found that the fang was one of his. It looked like it was hundreds of years old. How had she gotten one of his fangs and why did it seem to have magic properties? Deciding to keep the necklace for now, Sesshomaru turned and went into the palace.

Flame's heart dropped when he took the necklace. The small object had come to mean so much to her these past few days. It had offered her comfort and a way to regain her memories. Sadly, she followed behind him as he led her up a staircase in the middle of the room. She only stopped walking when she accidentally bumped into him. “Oof!” she exclaimed as she crashed into his side.

Sesshomaru gazed down at her neutrally before he opened the oak double doors in front of him. “Do you want me to come in?” she asked timidly.

“Yes,” he responded, warmth in his voice. Then he went into the large study. Flame followed behind him, glancing around. She couldn't help but be impressed by the huge room. It even had a fireplace. Sesshomaru sat behind a huge desk that was by a huge window in the north of the room. Flame sat in a large armchair on the other side of the desk. The items in the room almost had a western feel to them.

Sesshomaru studied the fang closely. Working on a hunch, he bit his finger tip and dribbled a small amount of blood on the fang. Suddenly, with a flash, blue runes showed up all over the fang. It seemed like he had placed a spell on this fang at one point. A spell that gave the fang several strange abilities. It was able to hold memories and also had a complex transportation spell on it. Why were such magics put on this fang and how had he done it? Would the fang help Flame regain her memory. Closely, he looked at the runes for anything that would help. After a few moments he deciphered something that stunned him.

As Flame watched he crushed the fang in his hand and poured the dust on a piece of parchment. “Wh-what?!” she exclaimed in horror.

“Shh, trust me,” he stated before going to the doors and talking quietly to a servant outside. He returned to sitting behind his desk and within seconds there was a knock on the door.

“Come,” he ordered. The right door opened to admit Akane. The small, red haired cat youkai skirted into the room carrying a tea pot and cups. Looking rather nervous, the young neko set the tea set down on the desk and bowed.

“You may go,” Sesshomaru said dismissively. Looking all too glad to be going, Akane scampered out of the study as fast as she could.

Flame watched, confused, as Sesshomaru poured hot water into one cup. Her confusion only rose as he poured the powder into the steaming cup. “Drink this,” he ordered, offering her the cup.

“But, why?” she asked, looking from the cup to the youkai.

“According to the runes it will help restore your memory,” he replied, looking her in the eyes. His eyes were soft and pleading. Her eyes were confused and worried. The liquid in the cup began to glow a soft blue making Flame's eyes go wide.

“What on earth is happening?!” Flame asked, gingerly taking the glowing cup.

“I'm just as puzzled as you are but I apparently enchanted one of my fangs at some point. I must have done it far in the future because it has enchantments on it that can restore your memory. It also has enchantments to show you memories from a certain point in our being together. The last spell on it is a time spell to transport you to a specific point in time once then act as a time transport upon command. I have no idea how I found someone capable of doing this but I am grateful it reached you in the future,” he explained, watching her closely.

Flame's head hurt from all the time bending stuff that was happening. She had a fang that Sesshomaru hadn't even lost yet in this time frame. A bit dubious about the glowing liquid, Flame sipped it carefully. To her pleasant surprise it tasted quite good, almost like blueberry juice. She swallowed the whole cup in one gulp, then seemed to freeze in place.

Suddenly flashes of memory that started at the first night she came here sped through her mind. Every muscle in her tiny body was stiff as her mind was flooded with memories. Then she slumped, breathing hard and her eyes unfocused. Sesshomaru was kneeling before her chair in a flash, his eyes filled with concern.

Slowly, Flame came back to herself as she remembered everything. “Lord Sesshomaru...,” she whispered, her eyes filling with happy tears. The next thing she knew, she was hugging him tightly and sobbing into his kimono. Faintly she felt him rubbing her back gently.

“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never thought that... Oh thank god I got my memory back,” she sobbed, clinging tightly to him.

“I'm so glad you came back. Never leave again,” he whispered, holding the back of her head gently. Flame nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his scent. He smelled of sandalwood, musk and rain. Pulling back, she looked into his honey colored eyes.

Suddenly she was being pushed back into the chair by the tall lord. His silver hair fell around them in a curtain. His eyes blazed with emotion as he rested his forehead against hers. Flame's breath caught in her throat as he began to growl softly. Slowly, achingly, their lips came with within a breath of touching. Then, with a possessive growl, his soft lips crashed into hers. Flame found her hands tangling in his long hair as he kissed her passionately. With a blush, she realized he was licking her lips, asking for permission to enter.

Flame broke the kiss with a small noise, gasping to get her breath back. Sesshomaru's burning gaze bored into hers, as if asking why she pulled away. Flame avoided his gaze, looking anywhere but at him. Next thing she knew her chin was being lifted gently and her gaze met his. “Lord Sesshomaru... how do you feel about me?” she asked, searching his eyes. The question seemed to stop Sesshomaru cold as he froze and pulled back. His eyes were still warm but the coldness was seeping in.

“I suppose I owe you as much truth as I know. I feel a strong connection to you. A loyalty that is hard to deny. I also feel a strong attraction to you,” he responded, staring into her eyes. Flame felt her heart soar at his words but it plummeted as he continued.

“However I cannot mate you or allow myself to love you. As the Western Lord I need to provide a full-blooded heir,” he finished, his eyes filled with something that could be regret.

“I see...,” she responded simply, looking down at the floor.

Sesshomaru stared down at the female quietly. He could smell her sorrow and found himself wanting to comfort her. Clenching his fist, he turned and sat behind his desk again. He had told the truth. As much as he wished to make her his mate, he just couldn't. Having a hanyou child was out of the question. The silence between them stretched for several minutes before Flame broke it. “Lord Sesshomaru, this isn't fair to me,” she responded finally. His gaze snapped to her immediately.

“Please, just let me leave. I only came back to find out what happened to me before I lost my memory. Yeah, I admit that I was looking forward to seeing you again after everything the fang showed me but there's no future for me here,” she said quietly.

Suddenly she found her left shoulder being gripped hard as his hard amber eyes bored into hers. His eyes blazed with rage from her suggestion. “You will stay here with this Sesshomaru!” he shouted, a desperate edge to his voice. Under all the anger he felt there was also a deep fear. He couldn't bear to let her out of his sight again. Everything inside him shouted a firm denial. He only softened when her sad, hazel eyes met his.

Her eyes were so full of sorrow, so full of pain that it gave him pause. “Please, I can't fall any more in love with you than I already have. Not when you can't love me back,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. Tenderly, Sesshomaru wiped away an errant tear as he rest his forehead against hers. Suddenly the small female began to sob hard and loud. Gently, the stoic lord held her to him with his only arm.

Soothingly, he rubbed her back. His heart ached for the pain she felt. He wanted to let her go like she wanted but he just couldn't. He found himself becoming agitated every time he thought of letting her go. “I can't let you go. Please forgive me,” he whispered, petting her raven hair.

“But why?! I can never be your mate so why?!” Flame asked, pulling back and looking at him with pain filled eyes.

“Because this Sesshomaru needs you,” he whispered, his soft, honey colored eyes meeting hers.

His whispered words filled her aching heart with happiness and she smiled softly. She felt a small bit of hope begin to grow inside her as Sesshomaru embraced her again. Maybe he could grow to love her over time. Maybe she could make this work. As she felt him tremble while holding her, she couldn't help but smile more. It really seemed the idea of her leaving was deeply bothering the taiyoukai. “I'll stay,” she whispered, giving in.

Sesshomaru pulled away to look at her. A small smile briefly appeared before he hugged her again. Relief filled his entire body from the small sentence. She would stay. Next thing he knew he was tasting her lips for the second time that day. To his delight her small mouth opened slightly to allow him access.

Flame wrapped her arms around Sesshomaru's shoulders as she kissed him. His tongue ravenously explored her mouth as she melted into his strong arms. She moaned as he finally broke away and looked into her eyes. Without another word, he picked her up in his arm like she weighed nothing and carried her back to his room. He placed her gently down on his huge bed before kissing her again. They kissed heatedly for a few moments before Flame broke for air. “Sesshomaru...” she whispered breathlessly.

Sesshomaru smiled, gently cupping her cheek in his hand. “You will be staying with me from now on,” he whispered before pulling away. As he went behind his changing screen he could hear Flame start to sputter. He grinned to himself as she continued to fight for words while he changed.

“B-but why?” she finally managed to stammer out.

“I want you to always be near me,” he responded matter of factly, stepping out from behind the screen. He couldn't help but grin when his human went beet red and looked away from him. He was only wearing a pair of sleeping pants. He prowled towards her, smiling in a predatory manner. Slowly he sat on the bed beside her.

Flame made several squeaking noises as well as cleared her throat several times. She found herself unable to look at him and focused on her hands which were knotted in the sheets. She startled when she heard a soft chuckle beside her. “Get some rest,” Sesshomaru purred, laying down and looking up at her. Flame swallowed loudly before laying down beside the western lord.

At first she faced away from him, blushing furiously. Then she felt herself being turned gently until she faced Sesshomaru. The western lord smirked at her smugly before holding her close to him. He rumbled gently in his chest as she was nestled against him. Flame gave in with a small sigh, relaxing in his embrace and breathing in his scent. It wasn't too long until she found herself closing her eyes. Her eyes stayed shut longer and longer until she finally fell into a deep sleep.

Sesshomaru cradled her close, petting her hair gently. He kept rumbling even when she was long asleep. He found himself feeling very content and relaxed. She had only been home a few hours and he already felt whole again. Tenderly, he nuzzled her black hair and breathed in her scent. “I love you Flame,” he whispered to the unhearing night.


	16. Visiting Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Double update tonight. I may come back and fix the various errors in this but only if I have time.

Flame yawned and stretched sleepily, nestling into the silk covers of the bed. She felt comfortable and content, sighing as she rolled over. That was when she felt someone gently shaking her arm. Grumbling, the sleepy female rolled away from whoever was trying to wake her up. She was far too comfy and didn't want to wake up. Unfortunately the person wasn't about to give up, just moving to the other side and jostling her again. “Mmf gomfway,” she muttered, moving away from the persistent person. A soft, male chuckle made her eyes pop open.

Flame sat up with a gasp, finding herself staring into Sesshomaru's amber eyes. The amused looking lord smirked down at her. Going beet red, Flame backed away from him. “Good morning,” he purred, looking very content with himself.

“L-lord Sesshomaru!” she squeaked in shock.

“Sorry to awaken you but you must get dressed and come with me,” he stated, still smiling. Gently, he threw her a white and pink traveling kimono. Flame wrinkled her nose at the outfit, not wanting to wear such an outfit again.

“Why can't I just wear my normal clothes?” she asked, plucking at the silky material in front of her.

“We are going to visit my mother,” he replied, the smile disappearing instantly. Flame went deathly pale as she looked at Sesshomaru.

“Y-your... but why?!” she gasped, horrified.

“I have some things that I must converse with her on,” he stated, looking at her pointedly.

“Why do I have to go?” she squeaked in a small voice.

“The conversation has a lot to do with you, now get dressed. We are already running late,” he bit out, looking annoyed.

Flame made a small noise and ran into the bathroom attached to Sesshomaru's room. She got dressed hurriedly and tied her long, black hair back into a ponytail. She snuck on her tennis shoes, figuring the long pants of her kimono would hide them from sight. They were a lot more comfortable to wear than the shoes they had here. Once she was done, she sprinted out of the bathroom. Sesshomaru merely stared down at her before turning and leaving the room.

Flame trotted close behind him, following him out to the front courtyard. Sesshomaru opened his only arm, gesturing her to come close. Knowing what was going to happen next, Flame huddled as close to Sesshomaru's side as she could and closed her eyes. She felt Sesshomaru's strong arm wrap around her and hold her tight. She could feel the youki cloud form under her feet and slowly lift into the air. As she felt her feet leave the ground, she gripped onto the silk of Sesshomaru's shirt. He purred softly to reassure her and tightened his hold slightly.

Slowly, Flame opened her hazel eyes to look around. The cloud flew high above the trees at an incredible speed. She found herself wrapping her arms around Sesshomaru's solid waist and hanging on for dear life. They had never gone this fast before and she was afraid the strong wind was simply going to blow her away. “You're perfectly safe,” Sesshomaru said warmly.

The small female couldn't help but be startled at what he said. It was almost as if he could read her mind. She looked up to find him gazing down at her with honey colored eyes. Strands of his silver hair flew into his face but he didn't seem fazed. His eyes swirled with several emotions as their gazes locked. Flame felt her heart lurch in her chest as well as a spike of arousal. He emanated a strange energy that called to a more primitive part of her brain. “Sesshomaru,” she whispered quietly, her heart beating hard.

Sesshomaru gazed down at his human, his heart filling with many emotions at once. All of them were strange and new to Sesshomaru and he didn't know what to make of them. The strongest emotion he felt was love as well as loyalty to the small female. He found himself wanting to taste her lips. She was looking up at him with lust and love in her eyes, only serving to flame his passion. His whispered name came from her lips, making him wish to kiss her even more. “Flame,” he whispered, his voice warm and full of love. Slowly he bent down until he captured her soft lips in a gentle kiss.

Flame's eyes fluttered shut as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth to allow him access, battling his tongue with hers. Her fingers entangled in his silken hair as she moaned into his mouth. Her groin throbbed with arousal as she returned his kiss with fervor. Finally she had to break for air, panting as her legs shook. Wave after wave of arousal washed through her as she gazed into Sesshomaru's eyes. Right now she wanted nothing more than for him to take her. “Sesshomaru...,” she whispered, her voice full of longing.

Sesshomaru growled softly, smelling the arousal rolling off his human. He could see the yearning in her eyes. He found himself wanting to comply, wanting to mate this small female. Rumbling in his chest, he bent down and nipped gently at her neck. She gasped and tilted her head to give him easier access. This small gesture awoke his more dominant side and he growled, pulling her closer. He nipped her neck harder, nearly drawing blood. He had to fight back the urge to give her a mating mark right then. His beast clamored at him to claim her. Breathing in sharply, he pulled away.

Flame's vision had gone nearly black when he bit her. She whimpered when he pulled away, leaning into him. Something deep inside cried out to him. She wanted him to claim her, to assert his dominance. The need to have him do so almost frightened her but she couldn't stop herself. “Sesshomaru... please,” she pleaded. She felt him stiffen beside her and draw in another sharp breath. She was sure that if she could see his eyes, she would have seen them flash red.

“Do not ask this,” he whispered, sounding like he was gritting his teeth.

“I want this. Please, make me yours,” she pleaded, unable to stop the words from coming out. She felt him tighten his grip on her and heard him growling softly.

“I cannot. Not yet,” he bit out, barely managing to keep control of himself. Every muscle in his body twitched in his effort to restrain himself.

Flame could feel the intensity of his own need as he fought to control himself. From just looking at him, she could tell it would take only a small push to make this go beyond the point of no return. Through her haze, a small bit of caution began to come through. What would be the consequences of pushing him beyond his control? Sesshomaru didn't want to make her his mate and if she pushed him, that's what would happen. Suddenly it dawned upon her that he had said 'Not yet.' Hope swelled inside her as she regained control of herself.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to get her arousal to subside. Slowly her lust went away and Sesshomaru visibly relaxed. She felt his hand move from her shoulder to the top of her head. Slowly his hand pet her head. His slender fingers brushed through the long strands, letting the hair run through his fingers. The gentle caressing slowly made Flame start to feel very sleepy and content. She leaned against Sesshomaru's side and nuzzled against his shirt.

Sesshomaru slowly relaxed as the smell of her arousal faded. He contented himself with petting her gently. Her hair was wonderfully soft and smelled of roses. As she leaned into him, he felt a surge of protectiveness. He looked down at her, a fierce look in his eyes. This small human was so fragile, he needed to make sure she was safe. As he looked forward, he mused on his purpose for this journey. If all went well, this small human... no... Flame, would be his. Even if it didn't, he was prepared to break the rules of his family. He wouldn't dishonor Flame by making her a mistress.

Hours passed slowly as Flame watched the trees blur by underneath them. Sesshomaru's hand was on her side and holding her gently. The sky had begun to take an orange tinge, heralding the arrival of nightfall. As the sun slowly set, Flame's stomach let out a loud roar of complaint. Sesshomaru looked down at her, amused, as she blushed. Gently, the cloud descended into the forest. “W-we don't have to stop,” she stammered in embarrassment.

“Nonsense,” he responded, his voice hard. His eyes bored into her, pinning her in place and let her know there was no room for argument.

Once they landed and the cloud disappeared, Sesshomaru made a small fire and went into the forest. He didn't venture far and killed a small rabbit. He skinned and gutted it before he returned to camp. He skewered the rabbit on a sharpened stick Flame made, positioning it over the fire. He sat next to Flame, pulling her close with his right arm. They sat in silence as they watched the rabbit cook.

The rabbit steamed and hissed as Sesshomaru pulled it from the fire. He held the skewer gingerly as it cooled. Once he deemed it cool enough, he handed over the roasted rabbit. Flame devoured most of the animal quickly. Once she was full, she leaned back and belched. Mortified, she covered her mouth and blushed. “Excuse me,” she replied, embarrassed.

Sesshomaru smiled down at her, standing to his feet and offering his hand. Flame grasped his hand and stood to her feet. He pulled her close to his side as his youki cloud formed under them again. As they rose into the air, he kept Flame steady. “We will have to travel through the night,” he stated as the resumed flight.

“Is it that urgent?” she asked, clinging onto his shirt.

“Yes, but don't worry. You can sleep,” he responded, rubbing her arm. Flame stared up at the stoic lord, bewildered. His jaw was set and he had a stern, determined look on his face. The energy around him sparked with tenseness. Deciding to subside, Flame became quiet and watched the scenery whiz by under them.

As the hours ticked by and the night wore on, Flame found herself growing sleepy. She leaned against Sesshomaru and yawned. “Sleep,” he murmured, petting her gently.

“I don't want to,” she yawned, nuzzling the silky fabric of his shirt.

Despite how much she wanted to stay awake, the gentle petting was lulling her to sleep. Vaguely she realized that Sesshomaru was now kneeling and picking her up in his only arm. Gently, he held her close against him and rumbled gently. Flame nuzzled into his chest with a soft sigh and drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next thing she knew she was being jostled awake but a small thump. She opened her eyes tiredly to see they had landed on a huge stone platform. Sesshomaru gently set her down, holding onto her until she was awake enough to stand on her own. Before them was a giant set of stone steps leading up to an ornate red and gold throne. Upon the throne sat a severe looking silver-haired female. She was dressed in rich furs and a pure white kimono. Her cold, amber eyes rested on Sesshomaru steadily.

“Is this human the one you spoke of?” she asked in a deadpan voice.

“Yes, mother,” he replied, a cold edge to his voice.

“Bring her forward then. I should have expected as much from you. You are your father's son after all,” she replied, sounding almost bored.

Sesshomaru tightened his hand into a fist as he stalked forward. Flame followed closely behind him, clutching her hands to his chest. The aura of anger was thick in the air as the moved closer to the lounging Queen. Sesshomaru stopped a couple feet in front of his mother, moving his hand behind Flame and moving her to the front.

The tall female stood to her feet, towering over even Sesshomaru. She stalked forward, looking down at Flame with a contempt that someone would show a bug. “She's not much. Although I sense a sleeping power deep inside her. Are you telling me this whelp is worthy of bearing the western line?!” she snapped, turning her blazing gaze on Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru bristled and showed his fangs to his mother. “Its her because I will take no other,” he growled, his eyes flashing red. The demoness narrowed her amber eyes before smiling cruelly.

“Let us test her then,” she snarled, grinning. With a flick of the wrist, she opened a huge hole in reality behind Flame. A strong wind sucked Flame in stealing the breath from her.

Sesshomaru froze in horror as Flame was sucked into the portal to the underworld. He watched as the events played out before him in slow motion. Flame's life left her body as she was slowly sucked in, then time resumed and she was gone. Without a thought, he bolted into the dark portal. He floated in an endless abyss, looking around for any sign of Flame. He had to find her within five minutes or she would be lost forever.

Finally he landed on a small, dark bit of land. The narrow pathway stretched before him into the darkness. All around him cries of damned souls rose around him. Skeletal hands reached up and tried to grab his pants as he walked. Just ahead of him was a trail of blood drops. Sesshomaru's heart halted in his chest when he saw the trail. It veered off the trail and into the pit of grasping, dead hands. There he saw Flame's lifeless body sink down into the hands.

Grasping the sheath of Tenseiga, he leapt into the air and swiped at the hands pulling her down. An arc of light flung from his sword and flew into the hands, disintegrating them instantly. Flame's body floated in suspension as the hands slowly regenerated. Sesshomaru flew down, grabbing her body in his arm. Glaring, he swung Tenseiga to open another portal in space. As the portal opened, a bright light came from Tenseiga and enveloped Sesshomaru's left arm stub. He felt an intense tingling as his left arm slowly grew back.

Ignoring this fact for the time being, Sesshomaru leapt out of the portal, landing in front of his glowering mother. Glaring back at the intimidating woman, he swiped his sword through the demons of death. Flame gasped as life returned to her body. Sesshomaru knelt beside her immediately and held her close. He nuzzled her hair, breathing her scent and wrapping his arms around her. “Flame...,” he whispered, kissing her forehead.

“L-lord Sesshomaru?” she asked, looking rather confused.

“Well done. But be warned, that was but your own test. Hers is yet to come my son,” the demoness hissed, glaring down at the pair. Sesshomaru glared at his mother, picking up a stunned Flame in his arms.

“What's going on? When did you get your arm back?” Flame asked, looking bewildered. Sesshomaru didn't answer her questions, instead forming his youki cloud beneath them and lifting off.

“You forget what night it is my child but you will remember,” she whispered, looking up at the darkening sky.

As they flew, Sesshomaru looked around. His mother had delayed them long enough that it was reaching nightfall. Slowly a full moon rose into the sky. Sesshomaru started, staring at the moon in disbelief. Swiftly he lowered the cloud to the ground as his vision began to bleed red. It was coming quickly and he couldn't stop in. As they landed, he shoved Flame away from him and doubled over in pain. “G-get away,” he growled, his voice changing to a deep growling noise. His eyes flared red as his body contorted.

Flame backed away, watching Sesshomaru contort and twist as he seemed to be fighting something off. Suddenly, in a bright flash of light, he transformed into his gigantic, white dog form. The beast had a wild look in its eyes as it glared at her. Growls ripped from the mountainous canine's chest as he looked her over. “L-lord Sesshomaru?” she squeaked in a shaky voice.

The huge canine bared its fangs at her, lifting its tail high in the air. The huge beast circled around her, the ground beneath her shaking as it walked. Something in the way he was posturing plucked at her memory. It vaguely reminded her of how wild wolves challenged each other for dominance.

On a hunch, she lowered herself to all fours on the ground. Sesshomaru growled louder and she swallowed, trying to get rid of her fear. She rolled onto her back, tilting her head to the side and exposing her neck. She closed her eyes and prayed as she heard the growls taper off. The huge canine placed its fangs on her neck, pressing down slightly. It took everything in her to not panic as he increased pressure just a bit. He growled softly, his sharp fangs very nearly drawing blood. Flame didn't dare move.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!!!: This chapter contains bestiality and some blood.

Slowly Sesshomaru released her neck to gently sniff at her. His huge nose traveled over her shaking body as she stayed absolutely still. He licked at her clothes, tasting them briefly before staring down at her. A rudimentary recognition started to come into his crimson eyes. His giant tail swished slowly and he started to tug on her kimono. Flame made a cursory attempt to try to stop him from ripping off her clothes until he growled at her.

His eyes blazed at her as he stared at her. Growls ripped from his chest again, warning her to stay still. Swallowing in fear, Flame let him rip off her kimono. The cold night air made her shiver. Her nipples stood erect and hard as diamonds. The huge beast hovered over her breasts, his hot breath blowing on her sensitive nipples. She watched in horror as his tongue slowly slid out of his mouth. Slowly he lapped her breasts, raking his huge tongue along her nipples. Flame couldn't help but moan in pleasure in response.

Sesshomaru rumbled gently, licking her breasts over and over. Soon Flame was squirming and writhing under him, her breath coming in pants. He rumbled softly as he stopped licking her and moved his snout down her body. Flame shuddered nervously, arousal still coursing through her. Gently, he tore off her panties, spat them out and began sniffing her groin.

Blushing furiously, Flame tried to curl up to hide from his questing nose when he growled loudly. He glared at her, his tail straight up in the air. Reluctantly, Flame straightened to allow him to sniff at her womanhood. He inhaled deeply, forcing her legs open with his blunt snout. “Lord Sesshomaru, stop,” she pleaded, hoping to get through to him.

He pulled his head away and gazed into her nervous eyes. The small female was frightened, tense and still aroused. Her scent told him she was ready to be mated. Still her eyes were hesitant. Reassuringly, the giant dog nuzzled her face. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before returning his snout to her slit. Slowly he licked her weeping womanhood, causing her to give a shuddering moan.

All of this was so wrong but her body was on fire. She tried to catch her breath as Sesshomaru gave her slit another slow lick. Flame moaned again, spreading her legs for him. Sesshomaru purred softly, licking her slowly. He closed his blazing eyes, savoring her taste. Flame gasped, arching her back as she felt her orgasm building. Somewhere, deep down, she thought was was happening was wrong but she found herself not caring. Suddenly her world exploded and she saw stars ad her body tensed. She whimpered through her clenched teeth as she orgasmed.

Sesshomaru licked up every bit of her essence, pulling away after she had come down from cloud nine a bit. His huge, red arousal throbbed in the moonlight as he looked at her expectantly. Flame's faced flushed as she looked at the titanic dog penis dribbling pre. She was a bit shocked at what was going on but decided to go with it. After all, who knew what Sesshomaru would do if she failed to comply.

Cautiously, Flame crawled toward the panting canine. He whimpered softly, nuzzling her gently. The penis in front of her was absolutely mammoth. Just the tip was as big as half her body. She was extremely grateful he wasn't trying to stick the thing inside her. Wincing at the powerfully musky scent of the red appendage, she wrapped her small arms around it and licked at the huge tip. Sesshomaru groaned and squatted, giving her a better angle at his member.

The pre she licked up was powerfully salty and musky. Making a disgusted face, she reluctantly licked from tip to opening. More pre dribbled out of the huge opening and Sesshomaru grunted. His member twitched gently and he humped the air slightly. Flame held on tight to his member so his thrust wouldn't knock her over. Gently, she moved her arms over his enormous girth as she licked. Sesshomaru huffed, his legs shaking as more pre spurted out, nearly covered Flame's head.

Flame sputtered and coughed, clearing her airways as she tried to catch her breath. She wiped the thick, whitish gunk off her face. If he came, she would probably drown but he was too far gone to stop now. “Okay, here we go,” she whispered, licking him again. Slowly she lapped his throbbing penis until she felt his thighs tighten. Sensing he was almost at his peak. She shimmied down below his penis and licked his underside. With a grunt, Sesshomaru thrust forward and came. String after string of white cum spurted from his member.

Soon the several mile long strands of cum slowly tapered off until it was a small dribble. A huge paw rested under her, letting her drop off his slowly deflating member, Gently, the giant dog placed her on the ground. The transformed lord licked her face tenderly before lying down. Confused and still trying to come to terms with what had happened, Flame curled up against his furry side and fell asleep.

Dimly she was aware of someone petting her gently. Groggily, Flame opened her eyes, squinting as the sun glared right in her eye. Making a grunting noise, she buried her face in the chest of the person holding her. A male chuckle snapped her to attention. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring at a very amused taiyoukai. Suddenly the events of last night came to her and she blushed a deep crimson.

Gasping she tried to scoot away from him, only to have him tighten his hold on her. He pulled her flush to his body, nuzzling her neck. “You did well last night,” he purred, nuzzling her neck.

“Wh-wha. What is going on?! What were you and your mom talking about yesterday! Why do I have a blank spot in my memory?! Why is your arm back?! What on earth happened last night!” she asked, flustered and trying to squirm away.

“First, stop squirming,” he replied in a deadpan voice, staring at her. She stared back, slowly realizing his arousal was pressed into her stomach. She froze in place, meeting his heated gaze.

“I was more or less there to tell my mom I was going to take you as a mate no matter what that meant for the family honor. I had decided that you were too important to me to let go. She didn't like that much. So she had you sucked into the underworld, killing you in the process. I went after you and saved you from the hands of the undead. When I reopened the portal into our world, Tenseiga made my arm grow back. I brought you back to life shortly after that. As for last night, it was a full moon. A night when I lose all control of my beast. If you hadn't submitted, my beast would have torn you apart,” he explained, staring into her eyes.

Slowly, the meaning of his words sank in and she blushed a deep red again. “D-do you mean that you're going to mate me?” she squeaked, trembling.

“Yes, especially after last night. My beast will have no one else. Tonight I will make you mine,” he purred, rubbing her gently.

Suddenly he released her, wrapping his kimono shirt around her shoulders. Noticing that she was completely naked, Flame grasped the silken material around her. She was excited and nervous for tonight. She didn't know the first thing about being a lady. Let alone anything about youkai society. And what would happen if she got pregnant? All she would have would be a midwife. Yet when she looked at Sesshomaru's tender eyes, she knew she couldn't turn him down. She would be lying if she said she didn't want this.

Sesshomaru watched her placidly, offering his left arm to her. With a shy smile, she walked toward him. He wrapped his newly restored arm around her as his youki cloud formed beneath them. He kept smiling down at her as his cloud rose and sped off toward his castle. Flame never broke eye contact with Sesshomaru as they flew. A hint of a blush was on her cheeks as he caressed her arm. Even when they landed in the front courtyard, the two never broke eye contact.

Sesshomaru led Flame inside the castle, smiling down at her. She looked so embarrassed and flustered, she was downright adorable. Chuckling, the amused lord released her arm and bowed to her. “I have many things to prepare before tonight. Go find Rin and tell her the news,” he stated before turning and walking away. Flame stammered and sputtered, blushing furiously. Things were happening so fast, it was making her head spin. After gathering herself for a moment, Flame wandered off in search of Rin.

Rin was bouncing a bright orange ball in the garden. The black haired child giggled merrily, her wide, brown eyes following the ball. The small girl paused, noticing Flame as she walked into the garden. A wide grin appeared on Rin's face and she rushed towards the older female with her arms open. Flame braced herself as Rin crashed into her, almost knocking her over. “Flame-chan!” she squealed, squeezing Flame's waist.

“Hello Rin,” she replied, placing a hand on the child's head. Rin gazed up at her with adoring eyes.

“Rin, I have something to tell you,” Flame started, kneeling in front of the child. Rin looked at her expectantly, holding one of Flame's hands in hers.

“Lord.... no, Sesshomaru has decided to take me as his mate,” Flame stated, looking nervous and embarrassed.

“D-does that mean you'll be my Okaasan?” Rin stammered, her eyes going wide and filling with tears.

“If you want me to be Rin,” Flame replied, smiling down at the child. Rin began to sob and clung to the kimono shirt Flame had draped over her.

“Of course I want you to be my okaasan! Oh I'm so happy!” Rin wailed, crying into the silken material. Flame knelt and hugged Rin while awkwardly holding onto the garment.

She hadn't even thought to stop by her room to get dressed first. She had figured the news would be really important to Rin. The happy, sobbing child confirmed her hunch and she was glad she didn't delay. Carefully she held Rin back so she could look in the child's sparkling eyes. “I have to go up to my room now, Rin. I promise I'll come back soon,” Flame said, smiling gently.

To her horror, Rin began to take notice of her attire or lack thereof. A knowing grin spread across the girl's face as she trotted away from the older female. Flame felt mortified as she straightened. She avoided Rin's glance as she scuttled out of the garden. She could feel the girl's eyes follow her into the house.

Flame skittered into her old room before she remembered that Sesshomaru had moved all of her stuff into his room. A room that was at the end of the hall. So far she had escaped notice from the servants but two armed guards stood in front of the double doors that led to Sesshomaru's room. If Rin was thinking something happened between them, these guys certainly would. It didn't help that they would probably be able to smell Sesshomaru's semen on her. Seeing no other way, Flame clutched the shirt to her and skittered past the guards and into the room. As she closed the door, she heard the guards talking about her and snickering. “Lord Sesshomaru found another harem girl. Smells like she serviced his beast last night,” one whispered as the door clicked shut.

Tears filled Flame's eyes as her heart lurched in her chest. The whole palace would hear about this in a matter of hours. All the servants would probably think she was nothing more than a mistress. As she took a hot bath, she wondered if Sesshomaru would set them straight. Once she was done washing, she dried and pulled on some clothes Kagome gave her. She put her hair up in a ponytail and stared at the double doors. She found herself reluctant to leave but she had promised Rin she would be back.

Focusing on the ground, Flame opened the door and skittered past the guards. As she hurried by, one of them grabbed her butt. Startled, Flame whirled, facing the leering dog youkai. Both of them had a strange look on their face and they stalked toward her with a predatory look on their faces. Flame backed away, holding her shaking hands to her chest. “Come, little concubine. Show us what you did to Lord Sesshomaru last night,” remarked the one that had groped her, licking his lips.

“I-its not like that!” she stammered backing away. The smell of her fear seemed to only drive them into a further frenzy. Their eyes flashed red as their lips lifted to show their teeth.

Suddenly she backed into something solid. Two pale hands rested on her shoulders and a deep growl came from behind her. The two guards stopped in their tracks, looking behind her in confusion. “Get out of my palace. You are relieved of your duties,” Sesshomaru bit out. At the sound of his voice, Flame nearly collapsed in relief.

The color left the guard's faces and they ran away. Sesshomaru growled until they were out of sight, then proceeded to sniff her. “They touched you. They're lucky I let them leave with their lives,” he growled, nuzzling her neck. Flame's eyes fluttered shut as he nipped her neck gently.

“You are mine,” he snarled, gripping her shoulders tightly. Flame looked back, her hazel eyes meeting his molten honey eyes. Next thing she knew, his lips were crashing into hers violently. It was almost as if he was trying to reassert his claim. Flame melted in his arms as their tongues tangled. Finally he broke away, both of them panting.

Sesshomaru was barely hanging onto his control. The beast inside him railed at him to claim her once and for all. Now was not the time, he had to announce it to his kingdom and hold a banquet first. Cupping her cheek, he gazed into her lust fogged eyes. “I'll guide you back to Rin,” he whispered, straightening.

Blushing, Flame curled her small hand in his; letting him lead her back to the garden. Rin came running up as soon as they entered, throwing herself at Sesshomaru's leg. “Oh thank you Lord Sesshomaru!” she gushed, hugging his leg tight. As she looked up at the western lord, her eyes filled with wonder.

“Your arm is back!” she exclaimed happily.

“Hn. Rin, play with Flame for a while. I'll have Jaken join you,” he replied neutrally.

Grinning at Sesshomaru, Rin grabbed Flame's hand and lead her into the garden. Sesshomaru watched the two for a few seconds before turning to find Jaken running at him. As annoying as his retainer was, he always seemed to know when he was needed. Jaken stopped in front of Sesshomaru, bowing before the towering lord. “Keep guard over Rin and Flame,” the imposing youkai commanded coldly.

“Y-yes Lord Sesshomaru!” Jaken stammered before sprinting out into the garden. Once Jaken as with the two females Sesshomaru stalked off to send some important letters.

Hours later Flame and Rin were eating supper under a cherry tree while watching the sunset. Rin was leaning against Flame, a content smile on her face. Flame was gently petting the child's hair, smiling down at her. Jaken sat a few feet away from them, keeping a close watch on the surroundings. Suddenly the small toad leapt to his feet, holding his staff in a defensive position.

Gently, Flame set Rin aside before shooting to her feet. She stood in front of Rin protectively while the child looked around in confusion. A white figure in the distance came in to focus, revealing it was only Sesshomaru. The taiyoukai strode toward them at a fast speed, making Flame a bit worried. Sesshomaru was never in a hurry unless it was important.

The taiyoukai's eyes sparked with emotion as he came closer. His eyes roamed over Flame's body in a way that made her squirm. It felt like he was undressing her with his gaze. He stopped in front of her, staring into her eyes. “Come,” he ordered, offering his arm.

Bewildered, Flame linked her arm with his and was nearly pulled off her feet when he rushed off into the palace. Tripping over herself to keep up, Flame trotted beside him. His gaze was fixed ahead and his jaw was set. “We don't have time to get you into proper attire but it doesn't matter,” he hissed, radiating tenseness. He led her into a huge, crowded ballroom and onto a raised podium.

As soon as they stood on the podium the crowd went dead silent. All eyes turned toward Sesshomaru and the small human beside him. Most of them had a look of shock or disgust on their face as they looked at her. Small murmurs spread through the crowd. From what little Flame could pick out, it seemed they were talking about how far Sesshomaru had fallen.

Flame felt a deep shame rise within her. She was tarnishing the powerful youkai's reputation. His kingdom would probably have massive repercussions from him mating her. Suddenly all she wanted to do was run away. She looked at Sesshomaru who was glaring out at the whispering crowd. “I choose this human you see before you as my mate. She will bare my heirs and be Lady of my kingdom,” he declared icily, daring anyone to challenge him with as icy glare.

“L-lord Sesshomaru! All this... this FILTH can offer you is half-breed trash! We will never accept her or any heir sprang from her!” yelled a fat, bearded youkai. A large part of the crowd murmured agreement, glaring at Flame.

“Silence! Who I decide to mate is my own concern. Anyone showing opposition to this union will no longer be under my protection,” Sesshomaru snarled, his eyes flashing red briefly. He grabbed Flame, bringing her next to him.

“Tonight I will consummate our union. Feel free to stay for the night,” he stated coldly, leaving the podium and dragging Flame behind him.

Angry murmuring followed the pair out of the ballroom and still rang in Flame's ears as Sesshomaru led her down the hall. “Lord... I mean... Sesshomaru, are you sure its such a good idea to make me your mate? All it will cause is problems for you,” she whispered, looking at the floor. She didn't see the western lord turn and glare at her.

Suddenly she was scooped up in his strong arms and he was carrying her into his room. He set her down on the bed gently before straddling on top of her, his face only a few inches from hers. His eyes burned as he stared at her. Next thing she knew, he was kissing her violently, his tongue demanding entrance. One of his hands cradled the back of her head gently as he assaulted her mouth.

Flame gave in, opening her mouth to his heated onslaught. His tongue clashed with hers as his other hand ran up her side and cupped her breast. Flame broke the kiss with a gasp, looking at Sesshomaru with a mix of lust and fear. “I don't care what they want anymore. All I know is I can't stand to not claim you another moment,” he growled, lust swirling in his molten eyes. His clawed hand played with her shirt covered right breast as he gazed into her eyes.

She looked so vulnerable, so timid. Sesshomaru longed to make her squirm under his hands. Impatiently, he pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her pert breasts. They were pale, soft and round. Each breast ended in an erect nipple, telling him she was aroused as well. Rumbling in his chest, he gently grasped her right breast again and massaged it.

Flame blushed as she was suddenly exposed to his eyes. His electric touch on her breast made her gasp. He grinned at her, flicking her nipple with his thumb claw. Biting her lip, Flame squirmed a bit. Every touch was setting fire to her loins. As she watched he lowered his head until he captured her right nipple in his mouth. Flame moaned, arching her back and wrapping her arms around Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru swirled the sensitive nub with his tongue, savoring the heady smell of her arousal pouring through her. With a growl he broke away from her nipple to pull off her pants. He heard her gasp in embarrassment and she tried to hide herself from him. He growled loudly, pinning her legs down so she couldn't curl up. He moved his face closer to her exposed slit, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. She smelled heavenly.

Flame went stiff, whimpering nervously as he practically buried his nose in her womanhood. She was tense with anticipation and nervousness as the lord lingered. She jumped when she suddenly felt something warm and wet run across her slit. His hands had her legs spread and bent back while his tongue ran slowly over her womanhood.

Flame moaned deeply, grasping the sheets in her hands. Sesshomaru had done this to her before in dog form. This felt far different. He was sticking his tongue deep inside her before flicking her clit. Each time his tongue brushed her clit, Flame's hips jolted and she moaned loudly. Her head tossed back and forth as she could feel a tenseness curling inside her lower belly. She gasped and mewled as he began to assault her clit mercilessly, seeming to sense she was close. With a loud cry of “Sesshomaru!” Flame came hard.

Sesshomaru gripped her legs, forcing her to stay open so he could lap up every bit of her essence. Once she was done spasming, he pulled back to look her in the eyes. His sizable arousal tented the front of his pants as his gaze raked over her. Slowly, he licked two of his fingers before rubbing his index finger along her slit. Flame moaned as he slowly worked one finger in, rubbing the inside of her wet passage before slowly adding a second.

Flame gasped partly in discomfort and partly in arousal as his fingers entered into her tight passage. She could feel him moving them slowly back and forth inside her while spreading them apart at intervals. Soon she was panting and squirming under him as he moved his fingers slowly inside of her. Suddenly his fingers disappeared, leaving her whimpering with need.

Hearing her whimper nearly made him lose all control. Hearing his soon-to-be mate whimpering for him drove him mad. Hurriedly, he removed his kimono pants. His erection was uncircumcised, 6” long and an inch in girth. Two magenta stripes adorned his hips and there was a small patch of silver pubes above his member.

Flame looked at the huge member in front of her, swallowing nervously. Sesshomaru was looking at her heatedly, his eyes tinged pink. Slowly he crawled on top of her, his silver hair falling around them like a curtain. He looked almost wild as he rubbed his arousal against her inner leg. “Do you want this? It will hurt and once we start I will be unable to stop,” he ground out, his arm muscles twitching. He was obviously having a hard time restraining himself from just taking her. His eyes looked into hers expectantly.

“Y-yes,” she whispered, reaching up to cup his porcelain cheek. He leaned his forehead against hers, growling softly. She felt him lift her right leg in one hand and felt the tip of his arousal press against her slit. Nestling against her neck, still growling, Sesshomaru thrust forward with a grunt. Flame gasped and went stiff, tears filling her eyes. Sesshomaru stilled inside her, licking her neck and purring softly.

“I'm sorry,” he whisper gruffly.

He waited until she relaxed around him, then started a slow rhythm. Flame gasped, grasping onto his back as he thrust in and out of her slowly. His breathing was rough and ragged as he fought to keep to pace slow for her sake. Soon Flame was wanting more and squeaked out, “Mmmph f-faster.” Sesshomaru's breath hitched in his throat and he started to thrust deeper and faster.

Flame groaned beneath him, resting her head on his shoulder and digging her fingernails into his back. She could hear Sesshomaru's labored breathing in her ear as he quickened his pace and grabbed hold of her hips. Flame moaned shakily, biting his shoulder with her blunt teeth. He stiffened at the bite, growling deep in his chest.

Suddenly she felt his teeth on her neck as he growled viciously. He thrusted in and out of her hard and fast, hitting deep within her every thrust. Tears streaked down Flames cheeks as she wailed her passion with abandon. “Sessh-omaruuuu,” she hissed, raking his back with her claws.

“Flame,” he growled, holding her close as he thrust mercilessly. Suddenly Flame stiffened beneath him, her mouth going into a silent 'o'. Her walls squeezed tightly around him as she went over the edge. With a low snarl, Sesshomaru thrust into her hard and bit her neck. As he orgasmed he left his mark on her neck.

Flame came down as she felt him filling her with his hot seed. Sesshomaru shook above her, panting with the effort he had made. Once his orgasm tapered off, he fell to his side, pulling Flame close to him. He gently licked the bleeding bite mark on her neck. Flame nestled into him, burrowing her face into his chest. Slowly she drifted off to sleep as Sesshomaru kept watch.


	18. The Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: Severe blood play involving the menstrual cycle in this chapter.

Flame blinked her eyes tiredly, trying to focus her vision. There was something behind her that felt as hard as steel and had its arms wrapped around her. She was sore as hell in her core and she blushed as memories of last night returned. She heard a deep chuckle from behind her as Sesshomaru burrowed his nose in her hair and inhaled. Suddenly he went stiff and his grip around her tightened. Flame pulled away slightly to try to see what was wrong, earning her a displeased growl from the taiyoukai.

To her surprise and slight horror, Sesshomaru's eyes had gone a deep crimson and his fangs had elongated to where they were almost poking over his lower lip. His nostrils flared and he burrowed his face into the crook of her neck where the mating mark was and inhaled. His clawed hands tensed on her back and growled even deeper. The only time Flame had ever seen the taiyoukai like this was when he was pissed or his beast had taken over. Unsure of what was going on, Flame held her breath. She jumped when she felt him lick the mating mark and tighten his hold.

Sesshomaru pulled away, his eyes burning into hers as he breathed heavily. “You're going into heat,” he growled heatedly, looking like he was barely restraining himself. Flame blinked in confusion as he clawed fingers twitched on her back. Sesshomaru looked like he was barely hanging onto his control by a thread and was staring at her intensely, as if waiting for something. It was then that she felt his rock hard, unclothed arousal pressing into her own naked thigh.

“You will stay in this room with this Sesshomaru,” he hissed, his voice strained and rough.

Flame looked at the almost completely feral youkai in confusion.“Wh-why?” she asked meekly, almost afraid of the intensity in his eyes. At her question, Sesshomaru growled loudly and bared his fangs.

“You are mine! I won't have some other youkai impregnating you,” he snarled, tightening his hold on her.

Suddenly she was on her back and he was on top of her pinning her wrists down. His hair fell around them like a curtain and his eyes burned intensely into her. Then he was kissing her more violently than he had ever kissed her. His lips crashed into hers and their tongues wrestled for dominance as he released small growls. Every muscle in his arms twitched as he held himself back. After a few seconds he broke the kiss and Flame began to pant, arousal beginning to wash through her.

His burning orbs bored into her eyes as he seemed to be waiting for something. Flame licked her bruised lips, squirming under his vice-like grip on her wrists. What was he waiting for? Suddenly it dawned on her that he might be waiting for permission to begin his onslaught. A deep blush colored her cheeks as Sesshomaru stared at her. His rock hard member twitched and dribbled pre from his lust.

Swallowing, Flame nervously nodded. Then she felt his hot mouth on her nipple as he nibbled and sucked the small nub. His clawed hand played with her other breast, brushing the other nipple with his claws. Flame gasped, moaned and arched her back as he teased her body. She could feel a heat coiling inside her and she rubbed her legs together for friction. Sesshomaru purred against her soft flesh before releasing her breast with a pop.

Dragging his hand away from her breast, he gently opened her legs. Flame found herself blushing as Sesshomaru began to lower his face towards her slit. He wasn't really going to do that while she was on her period was he?

Sesshomaru's eyes shut in pleasure as he breathed in her scent. She was just beginning to bleed. He could see a faint trace of the crimson liquid dribbling out along with her juices. With a soft growl, he placed a hand in her black pubes and licked slowly up her womanhood. The taste that he got on his tongue was exquisite. Her blood was spicy, coppery and hot. He wanted more of it. His control slipping, Sesshomaru burrowed his face into her junction and thrust his tongue inside her passage. He lapped the blood from inside as she squirmed and gasped.

Flame's vision almost went black from the pleasure. His tongue was stroking parts of her that were sending shocks through her body. Her hands tangled in his silken tresses, holding his face against her plump womanhood. Her legs tensed and twitched as she felt her orgasm coming fast. Suddenly she tensed, practically shoving Sesshomaru's face into her as she orgasmed. “Sesshomaru!” she wailed as she peaked.

Sesshomaru growled in satisfaction, lapping up her juices as well as the thick blood flowing out of her. His hands had her legs forced apart as he continued licking. Even after her orgasm had ended, he didn't pull away. He could taste more blood flowing from her and was determined to get every drop. He wouldn't waste a drop of this precious liquid. He pulled his tongue out of her but continued to lick her puffy lips.

Flame gasped, shuddering as she came down and Sesshomaru was still licking. Just as the sensations were becoming painful, he pulled away to lick the outside again. She sighed in semi relief but wondered why he kept going. She tried to pull away but this only made him tighten his hold and growl ferociously. As he licked her slowly, she could feel her arousal rising again. She laid back with a soft moan and arched her back.

Sesshomaru purred against her as he continued licking. The taste of her blood was intoxicating and driving him further and further into feralness. He scooped his tongue briefly into her quivering folds, grazing her clit with a fang and earning a gasping shudder. He growled softly, his member pulsing painfully as he delved his tongue into her wet depth again.

Flame gripped the sheets as she moaned and gasped. Her body writhed and twisted as she could feel a familiar tension inside her. The tension was getting deliciously tight as her second orgasm approached. Then she tensed, arching her back and screaming out, “Oh god! Sesshomaru!”

Sesshomaru drank up every drop of her blood laced essence. Then, satisfied that he had gotten all of her blood for now, he crawled up her body and licked his slightly bloodstained lips. He hovered above her, noticing a slight look of disgust in her eye. Smirking, he bent down, their lips almost touching. Just as he was about to taste her lips again there was a knock at the large double door. The powerful demon pulled away, snarls ripping from his chest. He didn't want any youkai anywhere near his mate right now. Whoever was out there was going to pay dearly for their foolish intrusion.

Flame went stiff as she heard the knock. She pulled the sheet to her chest, not noticing how pissed Sesshomaru was until she heard his vicious growls. His hands were clenching and relaxing as he stalked towards the door. Flame winced when she saw that. Whoever was out there was going to pay a hefty price. “Take it easy on them Sesshomaru,” she whispered meekly.

Sesshomaru whirled around, glaring at her for her request. He was only trying to protect what was his and she was requesting he be lenient? With a snort, he flung open the doors to find a bewildered looking female youkai staring at where the door was. She looked up before going pale and backing away. Sesshomaru glared at her, growling loudly as he flexed his claws. The servant squeaked and wisely ran away as fast as she could. Hopefully she would inform the rest of the castle and they wouldn't be disturbed.

Flame watched the tense youkai apprehensively as he shut the door. To her relief there was no blood on him, meaning whoever it was had been spared a grisly fate. “Thank you,” she whispered with a small smile. He only nodded lightly before walking back toward the bed. The tall youkai crawled onto the bed and over her until his face was hovering above hers. Gently, he nuzzled her cheek and licked softly. Flame blinked in shock at the small gesture, finding herself feeling oddly touched. With most normal canines, licking someone's face was a sign of affection. Could dog youkai be that wildly different?

Sesshomaru observed his mate's face for a few moments before nipping the mating mark to bring her back to reality. His action was rewarded with a gasp and the scent of arousal. He purred softly, rubbing one of her breasts in his hand and brushing the nipple carefully with his claws. To his delight she arched under him and moaned heatedly. He kissed her gently while positioning himself at her entrance. He broke the kiss to look in her eyes, silently asking permission despite his desperate need. He was so aroused he was in a considerable amount of pain.

Flame's brain was fogged with lust. She vaguely realized there was something warm pressing against her entrance and she tried to focus her vision. Sesshomaru's face filled her vision as he looked at her almost pleadingly. Despite almost completely being feral, he was waiting for her complete consent before continuing. “P-please,” she begged, wanting nothing more than to feel him filling her at this moment.

Sesshomaru thrust into her, fully hilting himself in her tight, wet heat. He groaned, his claws digging into her hips. He looked down at her, noticing her face was scrunched up in pain and felt guilt for taking her so fast. Though he wanted nothing more than to pound into her, he forced himself to wait until she had adjusted to him.

Flame bit her lower lip as she breathed through her nose. The suddenness of him taking her had hurt a lot. Tears brimmed in her eyes as her pain slowly ebbed. Slowly she became comfortable enough for him to move and she wiggled around him. He closed his eyes and groaned when she did that and she felt pinpricks of pain on her hips. Then he opened his burning eyes and began to thrust.

Although she was already bleeding, Sesshomaru hoped to impregnate her. Her body and scent were working in tandem to make him lose every shred of his control. Breathing through his nose, he forced himself to keep the rhythm slow for now. Soon she was writhing beneath him and breathlessly begging him to go faster. He obliged, grabbing and lifting her legs to pound into her.

Flame gasped, placing her hands on his back as he increased his speed. She gasped his name breathlessly over and over as almost every single stroke was hitting something incredible inside her. Her upper legs tensed in his hands as she whimpered and keened his name over and over as he took her. Already she could feel another orgasm building inside of her.

Sesshomaru growled, his mate writhing beneath him only driving his lust. His name on her lips was extremely erotic and driving him closer to the edge. Finally she tensed and wailed out his name in ecstasy as she tipped into oblivion. Her walls pulsing and milking his member was too much. Stiffening, he whispered her name before filling her with his hot seed.

Both of them panted and Sesshomaru pulled out and laid on his side beside her. His eyes were still red and he pulled her flush against him. One of his clawed hands rested on her flat stomach and his nose rested in her hair. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and he breathed in his human's scent. It was too soon to tell if he had been successful but he still scanned her scent for any sign.

Flame's breathing slowly went back to normal as she laid with her back against the western lord. As he sniffed her hair, she wondered if he was trying to tell if she was pregnant. The idea scared and excited her. She wasn't sure she was ready to be a mother but the idea of having a child from someone she loved so much growing inside her made her smile. She rested her small hand on top of his on her stomach as she closed her eyes. Although she had just woke up the recent activity had drained her of a lot of energy. It wasn't too long until she had fallen asleep in his arms.

Sesshomaru watched his mate sleep, a tender look in his crimson eyes. Gently, he kissed the mark on her neck and rubbed her stomach. He hadn't smelled anything unusual in her scent yet but it was far too early so he wasn't surprised. What did surprise him was how serene and beautiful Flame looked in her sleep. Carefully he let go of her and slid out of bed. He went to the doors of his chamber and summoned a servant. She would be hungry when she awoke.

Something was tickling her nose. Flailing, the sleeping female tried to move away from the object. A warm chuckle made her eyes shoot open and she turned to see Sesshomaru smirking at her. To her surprise, his eyes were still deep red. Would he be this way until her period ended or he impregnated her? A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts and she tensed. Hadn't they learned from last time? To her surprise, Sesshomaru didn't seem angered by the knock at all. In fact it almost seemed like he had been expecting it.

Sesshomaru felt a growl bubbling beneath the surface but he stifled it. The youkai outside was only bringing much needed food for his mate. He opened the door, took the tray and closed the door without a word. Then he brought the tray over to Flame who was looking at him with a confused look. Then her eyes widened as she saw the food on the tray.

As soon as the tray was gently sat on her lap, Flame's stomach let out a loud roar. Blushing, Flame began to eat her food slower than her stomach would have liked. Normally when she was that hungry she would eat really fast. She only restrained herself out of fear of offending Sesshomaru with poor manners. To her surprise he chuckled and said, “Don't hold back.” Hesitantly, she looked up at him and he grinned down at her. Shrugging, Flame began to bolt down her food like a starving person.

Sesshomaru watched his mate wolf down her food with an amused look on his face. From how fast she was eating he could almost swear she had youkai speed. Soon her plates were empty and he whisked them away. He placed the tray outside the door before crawling onto the bed beside her. He stared into her hazel eyes, his nostrils flaring. She hadn't started bleeding again yet but he wanted be sure to catch it when she did.

Flame met Sesshomaru's intense gaze nervously with a small smile on her face. This more wild side of Sesshomaru was frightening and intense but she doubted he would hurt her. In fact he showed that he had more restraint than in the past. If this had happened before the mating he would have taken her far more roughly. With a small smile, she wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed her head in his chest. She breathed in his scent deeply and closed her eyes. He smelled far more wild and musky but still nice.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms loosely around Flame as she nestled into him. He was filled with a sense of well being as he held her. Tenderly, he rubbed her back; content to just lay with her for now. As he nuzzled her hair, a very faint scent hit his nose and he froze. Slowly he pulled away and pushed her onto her back.

Flame stared at him, confused. He couldn't want more already could he? To her surprise he lowered his face to her stomach, brushing his nose against her skin. He inhaled deeply, burrowing his nose into her stomach. It was as if he was looking for something. Then he was rubbing his cheek against her stomach and purring, causing her to blush

Sesshomaru smelled it. It was very faint and barely there but she was pregnant. His heart filled with happiness as he rubbed his cheek against her stomach. His beast slowly receded as he came back to himself. She was carrying his pup. Soon he would see her starting to get round with his child. Just the thought of it brought a smile to his face.

Flame watched Sesshomaru as he stayed very still, his head on her stomach. With a blush she found herself wondering if it was possible. Was she already pregnant? Was youkai seed that potent? Sesshomaru looked up at her, his eyes warm and honey colored once more. He crawled up, laying beside her and placing his hand on her stomach. He smiled at her warmly before giving her a chaste kiss. “A-am I... could I already be?” she stammered, her face beet red.

“Yes,” he answered simply, watching her reaction. To his amusement she went even more red, placing her hands on her still flat stomach.

“How long?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

“Six months,” he answered, kissing her nose.

Six months?! So soon! Flame found herself becoming nervous and scared. She didn't even know if she could be a good mother! Panicking, she pulled away from Sesshomaru. He only held tighter, making a concerned noise. Comfortingly, he pet her; sensing she was distressed by the news. Slowly she calmed, still stunned by the news. Then another thought crossed her mind. What about when she gave birth?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This is where things got rushed.


	19. Difficulties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: Chapter contains graphic birth scene.

_ Month 1 _

 

Flame awoke, an unpleasant lurching feeling in the pit of her gut. Breaking into a cold sweat, she ran for the bathroom. She just barely got to it in time before she threw up into the toilet. Her stomach heaved as she threw up violently and uncontrollably. It felt as if her stomach was trying to turn itself inside out. Finally the wave stopped and she collapsed into something warm and hard. Lifting her head, she saw an upside down view of a very concerned taiyoukai.

Smiling weakly, she said, “I feel better.” Sesshomaru only nodded before kneeling down to hand her a cup of water. Flame took the cold cup and gulped down the liquid, the coldness soothing her raw throat.

“Thank you,” she whispered weakly, closing her eyes.

Dimly she was aware of being picked up and carried back to bed. Once she was laid on the cool sheets, she opened her eyes blearily. Sesshomaru was looking at her closely, his brow knitted in concern. Was being this ill while pregnant with a hanyou not normal? When she opened her mouth to ask, she found that her voice had simply fled her. Then her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she knew no more.

 

_Several Weeks Later_

 

Flame awoke to the same unpleasant lurching feeling in her stomach and ran to the bathroom. Even though there was nothing in her stomach, it heaved and twisted violently. Finally the ordeal passed and she collapsed, only to be caught in the arms of Sesshomaru. Worry was written on his face as he carried her back to the bed and laid her on it. “Flame, you've been out for two and a half weeks,” he stated, concern in his eyes.

She shot into a sitting position, her eyes wide. How was she still alive? How had they kept her fed and hydrated? Was the child alright? What had cause this in the first place? Could it happen again? These questions and more flooded her mind. Seeming to sense her confusion, Sesshomaru decided to answer the ones she most likely had, “We fed you a strong broth made by the healers. It kept precious nutrients in your system. The child is doing well but there seems to be no explanation of why you fainted like that.”

Flame blinked, absorbing the new information. As she was deep in thought there was a knock on the huge double doors. Sesshomaru answered them and brought back a tray with a bowl of soup on it. The sight and smell of the food made Flame's stomach twist in nausea. “T-take it away,” she pleaded, trying to back away from the tray. All she could do was hope she could eat the next time.

 

 

 

_Month 2_

 

The whole first month she had been able to eat very little or not at all. Anything she ate never stayed down long and Sesshomaru had grown more and more concerned. She was now on her second month and more of the same was happening. None of the healers could tell them what was wrong, only that it wasn't effecting the pup inside of her yet. Flame rested her hand on the visible bump on her stomach and rubbed with worry in her eyes. Surely so long without nutrition couldn't be good for the pup she carried inside of her.

Sesshomaru sat on the bed beside his human, refusing to move. Her condition was deeply concerning for him. Both her and the pup could be in danger from her inability to eat. Even the medicated broth was now coming up. He was at his wits end with worry. The most frustrating part of the whole situation was his inability to help. None of the healers had ever seen anything like this. Whimpering in worry, he gently nuzzled her cheek. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her. Tenseiga could only be used once and he had already revived her.

A timid knock interrupted their worries. Looking irritated, Sesshomaru got up and went to the double doors. Once he opened them, his irritated look disappeared as he saw Rin looking up at him with worried eyes. With everything that had happened to Flame he had forgotten all about the small child. She hadn't seen either of them for a month and a deep feeling of guilt shot through him. Rin must have been worried sick. “May Rin come in?” she asked timidly. She only used the third person when she was nervous now, so Sesshomaru smiled softly to put her at ease.

“Yes Rin but don't jump on Flame. She's pregnant and very sick,” he replied.

Rin's brown eyes went wide with wonder first then worry. She ran into the room, stopping beside the bed. Flame smiled down at her weakly, reaching down and rubbing the girl's head. “Are you going to be okay?” Rin asked, worry in her brown eyes.

“I hope so Rin,” she replied, a tired look in her eyes. Suddenly her arm went stiff and her eyes rolled aback in her head. Her body went stiff and started to shake violently as she convulsed.

Sesshomaru swore loudly, getting on top of the convulsing female and holding her shoulders down. Rin backed away from the horrible scene, tears filling her wide eyes. Suddenly Jaken appeared beside her, as if summoned. “Get Rin out of here!” Sesshomaru yelled, trying to restrain Flame's flailing body. Jaken's eyes widened and he dragged Rin out as fast as he could.

Sesshomaru pried Flame's mouth open so she wouldn't bite her tongue and held her as still as he could. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally went limp. Sesshomaru laid his mate down, brushing her black hair out of her face. What was wrong with her?

 

 

 

_Month 3_

 

Flame still hadn't awoken and Sesshomaru had never left her side. Miko's, priests, monks, healers, witches had all streamed through here. They all had the same response: The baby is fine but we do not know what is wrong with the human. It was enough to nearly drive him mad. The only food she had eaten for months was the medicated broth and she never kept it down for long. He would give anything just to see her hazel eyes again.

Gently, he kissed her clammy brow. Rin hadn't been back but he had sent a servant to explain what had happened to the child. There was no doubt the girl was traumatized but he was simply unwilling to leave Flame's side. Her pregnancy was more noticeable, her stomach the equivalent of a four and a half months pregnant woman. Sesshomaru wondered how the pup was still in perfect health while his mother withered away.

Suddenly, Flame's eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes tiredly. The first thing she saw was a very concerned Sesshomaru staring at her. “Flame?” he whispered quietly, as if afraid his very voice may destroy her.

“Mmmm 'Maru?” she slurred. She was terribly pale and thin except for her pregnant dome. There were circles around her eyes so dark that they almost looked black. She looked very weak and tired.

Sesshomaru felt his heart lurch in his chest as he realized just how tired she looked. It was as if her life was slowly slipping from him. “How long was I out,” she asked, her voice croaky and barely above a whisper.

“A month,” he whispered quietly, gently petting her head.

Flame had no strength to react and closed her eyes. She placed her hands on her stomach, rubbing the taut dome. She was dimly surprised by how big she was and was vaguely concerned about the child. With how she was feeling, she doubted they had managed to get much nutrition into her. Vaguely she felt someone shaking her shoulder and she opened her empty eyes. Sesshomaru was staring down at her, a near frantic look in his honey colored orbs. “I thought you had gone to sleep again,” he whispered, a desperate edge to his voice.

Sesshomaru was desperate to keep his mate awake. He was so afraid that one of these times she just wouldn't wake up. His heart was aching in his chest with an unfamiliar feeling. Suddenly he felt something wet hit his hand. He observed the pale appendage, only seeing a small, clear droplet of water. Then he was aware of moisture on his cheeks. With a shaky hand, he touched his wet cheek. He was crying. Not too long ago he would have been horrified to find he had done something as weak as shed tears. Now he was shedding them freely in fear for his mate and pup.

The sight of Sesshomaru's tears brought Flame out of her daze a little bit. Sesshomaru was crying? He never cried. Weakly, she tried and failed to lift her arm. The appendage dropped to her side as her energy was expended. Sesshomaru was right there, holding the hand she had dropped in his. She managed a small smile briefly before she could no longer hold it. Sesshomaru kissed her palm lovingly, tears still flowing freely.

After a few seconds Sesshomaru released her hand and went to the door. He came back with some medicated broth, hoping he could get some into her today. He set the soup on a night stand, gently sat her up and sat behind her to support her weak body. Gently, he fed her some soup; watching her for any signs of her getting sick. To his relief, she seemed to be able to keep it down this time. He fed her as much of the bowl as she was willing to swallow, which was only half.

Soon he heard her deep breathing and realized she was asleep. Gently, he got up from behind her and carefully laid her down. He laid down beside her, his hand on her round stomach. All he could do was wait and see if she would wake up again.

 

 

 

_Month 4_

 

Once again she had been unconscious for a month. Yet it seemed she was slowly being able keep down the broth. She wasn't looking any healthier but she was at least getting needed nutrition. Sesshomaru had kept Rin away from Flame in case she had another convulsion. He didn't want the small child to be anymore traumatized than she already was. He had given up on ever finding answers for his mate's mysterious illness. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

Sesshomaru looked down at his thin mate, worry evident in his eyes. Her stomach had ballooned to the fifth month but would reach the size of six months by the end of this month. It almost seemed as if the child was feeding off the life force of its mother. It was impossible though. Neither hanyou or youkai children ever did that to their mothers. Everything was so wrong.

Whimpering, he looked over to his slumbering mate. Her breathing was slow and even. At least she hadn't convulsed again, yet. Sesshomaru's heart twisted in his chest as worry filled his being. Fear of losing his mate and his child filled him until he thought he would go mad. Tears rolling down his pale, striped cheeks; Sesshomaru begged, “Please, awaken love.” Yet her state never changed.

 

 

 

_Month 5_

 

She had slowly gained a bit of her weight back and had been keeping down the broth. The child inside her rolled and kicked actively. Her stomach was now the size of a seven months pregnant woman and would reach the size of eight months by the end of the month. Yet she hadn't awakened. Sesshomaru was nearly mad with worry. He was snapping at almost everyone who came into the room now.

He looked down at his slowly improving mate, concern all over his face. He took some comfort in the fact that she was keeping down food and gaining weight but he wondered why she wouldn't wake up. Would she wake up for the birth? Would he need to find someone who could magic the child out of her womb? Would she ever wake up again? Sesshomaru stared down at her unconscious body, tears brimming in his eyes. He hadn't been able to stop crying lately but he didn't have the strength to care.

He brushed his lips against her cool forehead, a small sob escaping him. What would he do if she never awakened? Could he even justify keeping her alive? His heart twisted in pain at the thought of having to kill her. Could he put her out of her misery if the time came? He didn't know. He didn't think he would have the strength.

 

 

 

_Month 6_

 

She was still quite thin but looked to be on the road to recovery. She hadn't had a relapse and her pregnancy was almost at an end. The child could come at anytime now and she still wasn't awake. Sesshomaru held her sleeping body in his arms, his eyes closed. He was praying to any deity that would listen that she would wake up. He had gotten a witch to remove the child if needed but he hoped it wouldn't come to that. “Flame, please. Our child will be here soon,” he pleaded, his voice shaking violently.

Suddenly he felt a twitch in his arms. Hope filling his honey colored eyes, he looked down at her. Her purple eyelids fluttered briefly before her eyes slowly opened. She looked around confused before her chin was lifted so Sesshomaru could look her in the eyes. Tears of relief filled his eyes as he looked down at her. He mouthed her name, unable to make any sound as his voice failed him. He rested his head on her forehead, tears hitting her cheek as all the strength left his body.

Gently, he wrapped his weak arms around his mate and held her carefully against him. Slowly, he started to rock gently back and forth. His hands ran through her hair and he mouthed her name over and over again. Slowly, his heart began to unclench and his tears began to taper off.

Flame was stunned silent. She had never seen Sesshomaru so distraught before. Then, with a shock, she noticed her stomach. She looked about to pop! How long had she been out. Burning to ask Sesshomaru, she decided to wait until he had calmed down. From his reaction, she could gather she had been out for quite some time.

Eventually Sesshomaru calmed down and stopped crying but he couldn't stop checking to see if she was still awake. A part of him couldn't believe that she was finally conscious. He couldn't take his eyes off her and also didn't want to let her go for any reason. He was afraid if he did that she would just crumble or break in some way. “How long?” she asked quietly, breaking through his trance.

“Two months,” he whispered, his hold tightening slightly.

The news snapped her out of her lethargy slightly as she tried to absorb it. Two months?! No wonder Sesshomaru was so worried. It also explained why she looked like she could give birth at any moment. “Did I eat anything?” she managed to whisper.

“Yes and you've been keeping more and more down. You've even gained some weight back,” he whispered, brushing his lips against her forehead. His arms trembled as he held her close. He was afraid to let go for even a second. He didn't know if she would faint again and he wanted to spend precious moments with her while she was awake.

Weakly, Flame moved her hand on top of her large stomach and rubbed. The pup inside gently kicked her hand, making a ghost of a smile flicker across her exhausted face. Suddenly she felt her back tighten slightly and she frowned. Sesshomaru's eyes were immediately on her, his nostrils flaring. A panicked look on his face, he gently laid her down and went to the large double doors.

No. Not now. She was so weak. Could she even survive the birth? Would the pup survive? Sesshomaru fought off full on panic as he opened the door and summoned the healer. Almost immediately the lynx youkai was standing in front of him. Her eyes were yellow and cat-like, her purple hair reached down to her chin and she had a pair of black, fur tipped lynx ears. She was wearing a kimono that depicted a winter field. Her yellow slitted eyes met the flustered lord's eyes neutrally.

Rinkusu could smell Sesshomaru's fear as well as the woman's impending labor. This would be a hard night. The woman smelled weak and sick. It was unlikely the pair would survive the ordeal. “Summon the witch, just in case. The ningen might not have the strength to give birth,” she stated matter of factly before entering the room.

Sesshomaru stiffened at the neko's words. Panic filled him as it became a real possibility that Flame would die tonight. His breath came in short pants as his heart jumped into his throat. His fingers numb and tingling, he went back to the double doors as summoned the witch who would remove the child if necessary. The loathsome creature appeared before him, cloaked in a ragged shawl. A dark energy emanated from the evil creature as it seemed to be waiting for his orders. “Wait out here,” he ordered, not wanting that thing in the room unless he had to. The thing nodded before the doors shut, hiding it from view.

Rinkusu's hands roamed over the human's huge stomach. A frown creased her brow as Flame let out a weak moan. Sesshomaru was right by his mate as soon as he heard the noise and she smiled. She had never thought she would see the cold taiyoukai so worried about anyone, let alone a human. Her heart twisted in her chest, knowing that this night he would lose her. The snow cat could tell that Sesshomaru would go crazy when she died. “Her labor is coming too fast milord. She won't survive this,” she whispered, watching his eyes cautiously.

Sesshomaru's breath stopped as Flame let out another pitiful moan. His arms tightened unconsciously as his heart stopped beating. The world went gray as time ground to a halt. His mate, his treasure, the one he couldn't live without; she was going to die and there was nothing he could do. Dimly he heard a voice calling for him from a great distance. Slowly, he came back to himself. Flame gave a weak scream in his arms, sweat shining on her brow.

Her body was wracked with pain but she was too weak to even grasp Sesshomaru's shirt for comfort. As soon as one pain ended, the next crashed into her and she gave a pathetic scream. It felt like she was being torn apart and had no voice to release her pain. Vaguely, she was aware of Sesshomaru petting her soothingly while shaking. Too distracted by her pain to wonder why her mate was shaking, she whimpered and weakly nuzzled his chest.

Rinkusu watched the scene with sad eyes. Using her youkai magic, she rolled up her kimono sleeves and went between the female's shaking legs. The laboring woman's slit was already bulging outward and fully dilated. “Push on the next pain my lady,” she ordered, positioning her hands to help.

Flame took in a deep breath, pushing with as much strength as she could muster. She kept pushing for as long as she could, ignoring the slight burning of her womanhood. Then she collapsed, the breath leaving her for a minute. She could tell she hadn't made any progress at all with her pathetic effort. “Ses-shomaru p-push on my stomach next time I push,” she gasped, feeling the next contraction building.

Tears flowed freely as he placed his hand on her stomach. Seeing his mate struggling like this was tearing him apart inside. All too soon she was making another effort to push. Gently, Sesshomaru pushed on her hard stomach as hard as he dared. She made a pained noise that twisted a knife in his heart and almost made him pull his hand back. “You're beginning to crown my lady,” the lynx announced, making Sesshomaru feel a bit relieved. Soon she would be done and in a place where there was no pain. Tears choked his throat has he gently stopped pushing as she did.

Flame's vision was beginning to fail her as black spots floated in front of her vision. Her heart was beating erratically and she was having a hard time catching her breath. That's when she realized that she was dying. Strangely she felt no panic, only worry for her unborn pup. Tenaciously she clung onto life if only long enough to give birth to their child. As the next contraction came, she pushed with everything she had while Sesshomaru pushed on her stomach. Tears filled her eyes as she could feel her delicate womanhood begin to tear.

Swallowing the pain, she continued to push, losing the battle of staying conscious. She could only keep it up for a few minutes before collapsing. “The head is out. I should be able to help pull the pup out with one more push,” stated the midwife. Flame's whole body shook as her vision became entirely black. She was making an incredible effort to breathe as her life slowly ebbed away. Only one more push. One more push and her child would be safe.

Sesshomaru held his mate, his lips in her hair as he felt her life ebbing. Despite his great sorrow he felt pride that his mate was fighting to the last to stay alive to birth their pup. “Just one more,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice from shaking. His beast lurked in the background, just barely held back by Sesshomaru's desire to be with his mate for her last moments. As soon as her life was gone he had no idea what he would do.

Another contraction slowly came and she pushed with the last of her strength. Sesshomaru pushed on her stomach, helping her. The midwife pulled gently until the pup slid free from her bleeding and torn passage. Flame collapsed, breathing shallowly as her life slipped away. Desperately, she tried to cling on to hear if her child lived but no cry filled the room. The room was dead silent. “He's dead,” the midwife whispered sadly. Flame's heart broke as her breath hitched. Their son had died. Suddenly she felt Sesshomaru's lips pressing against hers as he wept freely. She managed just enough strength to return it before she knew no more.

Sesshomaru held his mate's dead body in his arms, sobbing loudly. He held her empty body to him, rocking her gently. His heart felt like a massive burning sore as pain ripped through him. He had lost them both. Slowly his control slipped and his eyes began to bleed red as his beast took over. He jumped out the window, landing gracefully on the grass of the front courtyard. His body heaved as a familiar transformation took over him.

His head snapped to the sky as a white aura swirled around him and he transformed into a giant. white dog. Growls ripped from his chest as a savage anger slowly took over his mind. His unthinking, unfeeling beast was in full control. A strong breeze brought the scent of a nearby village and he turned towards that direction. His mate and his pup were dead. Someone had to pay for his pain. With a loud howl, he dashed off towards the doomed village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yeah, this chapter got rushed too. At this point I had wanted to move on to 'Tainted Love' but only wanted to focus on one story at a time.


	20. Another Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: Sex between two feral demons in their animal forms.

Warm. Floating. She felt extremely comfortable and at peace. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw she was in a huge field that was kind of surrounded by a haze of white. There was a small, slow running brook and a huge, flowering cherry tree. Small clusters of colored flowers dotted the grass and small bugs lazily flew through the air. The whole place felt so peaceful and quiet, she couldn't help but smile. She had no memory of anything before this place but she was unworried. Laughing merrily, Flame walked over to the blossoming cherry tree and sat under it.

The tall grass tickled her and she realized she was only dressed in a white nightgown. Unbothered by this, she leaned her head back against the tree. Birds chirped in the distance and the breeze smelled of musk, rain and wildness. Her eyes snapped open as the scent sparked a memory. To her frustration the memory slipped away as quickly as it had come. She had a feeling that it was important. Then she noticed a white figure in the corner of her eye.

Flame looked up to see a tall, painfully beautiful woman smiling at her from across the brook. She was dressed in white, had white hair that touched the ground behind her and her blue eyes bore into hers intensely. Yet the gaze was only motherly and full of warmth. The tall, beautiful being walked towards her, strange white lilies growing behind her as she walked. She seemed to be surrounded by a soft white glow and emanated kindness.

Flame found herself in awe of the woman. She wondered what such a person could want with her and got to her feet as the woman got closer. Something about the being made her feel safe and she felt no fear. Soon the woman stood before her, towering over her slightly. “I have waited long to see you my child,” she whispered, running a delicate hand through Flame's black hair. Her hands had small nails that looked like they held a galaxy in each of them.

“A-are you a goddess?” Flame gasped, filling with awe.

“Yes my dear. My name is Luna. I'm one of the many goddesses of the moon,” she answered, moving her hand from Flame's head to cup her cheek.

“Where am I? Why can't I remember anything?” Flame asked, confused. She couldn't help but lean into the woman's touch. Her hand on her cheek filled her with a deep feeling of comfort and love.

“You and your child died in childbirth,” Luna whispered, her blue eyes filling with sadness.

Suddenly Flame was on her knees holding her head as the memories flooded back to her. Tears of heartbreak flowed down her cheeks as she gasped, “Sesshomaru.... my child...” She was vaguely aware of the goddess kneeling before her and wrapping her into a gentle hug.

“I am so sorry my sweet daughter. All of this was fated to happen. How I wish I could have spared you your suffering,” Luna whispered, diamond like tears rolling down her cheeks.

“What do you mean 'fated'?” she asked tearfully, allowing Luna's soothing aura to calm her a bit.

“All you have gone through was for a purpose. You are the last of your kind in your time and your parents had hidden your true self to protect you. It is time to awaken you,” the glowing goddess replied.

“What are you talking about?” Flame asked, confusion filling her hazel eyes.

“You are one of my children, a wolfen. Have you never felt a strange connection to the moon?” she asked, smiling slightly.

Flame paused, thinking about the last question. She had felt a strong affinity for the moon, even preferring to be awake at night instead of the day. The full moon was her favorite night of the month and she would sit outside for hours, watching it. “Now that you mention it, I did really like to look up at the moon. I even preferred the full moon,” she answered, her eyes going wide. What did this all mean?

“You can change into a giant wolf form. You aren't exactly a youkai but you are close enough. Once your true self is unlocked you will have the same life span as Lord Sesshomaru,” Luna said, as if she could read Flame's mind.

The information was a lot to take in. All her life she had believed she was human. Now she was finding out she was some wolf creature in disguise. Had this been to source of her illness? Had the disguise messed with her pregnancy? “The pregnancy was never meant to be. As you were, your body was trying to nurture a hanyou. Yet you are meant to give birth to full demon children. The two realities clashed and caused you to tear in half. Your human half battled your wolf half for dominance over the baby, causing a clash between the auras,” Luna answered, again seeming to read Flame's mind.

“Is that why I died? Why my child died?” Flame asked, tears in her eyes.

“Yes. The child never set on a genetic identity and its aura never settled. It could have never survived the birth. You died because your two halves were destroying each other and your body gave out under the stress. Your two halves were fighting over the identity of the child even as he was being born,” she answered, pulling Flame into a gentle hug and petting her long, black hair.

“W-will this happen again?” Flame asked shakily.

“No. You died so you could be reborn as what you truly are. Once your disguise is gone you will be a wolfen. There will be no other half to fight,” Luna answered, pulling Flame back to give her a reassuring smile.

Flame wiped her eyes and smiled sadly. Her small child was gone but she had a chance of coming back. “When can I go back?” she asked, looking up into the entity's blue eyes.

“Now, if you wish,” Luna replied, caressing the now wolfen's cheek.

“I'm ready!” Flame stated, determination in her eyes. Who knew how Sesshomaru had reacted to their deaths. She needed to get back, NOW!

To her relief, Luna only smiled gently and nodded. Then the goddess bent down and gave her a chaste kiss. Flame's eyes widened in surprise as Luna's soft lips met hers. Then she felt a heat beginning to rise in her body as her vision began to fade to white. She could feel every bit of her body filling with an unknown power. Her small, human teeth grew into long fangs and her blunt nails became elegant claws. Her ears became elfed and her hair grew much longer. Her eyes became a deep jade as the power filled her until she felt she would burst. She screamed soundlessly as her world went white.

Flame sat up with a gasp, startling the poor youkais that had been cleaning her for the funeral. They stared at her with a mix of fright and wonder, backing away from her. She remembered her appearance as well as the fact that she had been dead and didn't blame them but she had more pressing matters right now. “Where's Sesshomaru?” she asked, staring at the two youkai intensely.

“L-lady Flame?” one asked timidly, eyes wide.

“Yes but I don't have time to explain. Where is Sesshomaru?” she asked, desperation edging into her voice. She had this horrible feeling that he was in trouble. That she had to get to him.

“He jumped out of the window soon after you died. The guards saw him transform and run off toward a village,” the other one answered, a grave look on his face.

Flame went pale as she realized what was going on. Sesshomaru had gone completely wild and was destroying everything in his path until he died. Her heart lurching in her chest, she ran out of the room. She felt the cold air on her naked skin as she ran but she ignored it. Everything within her was screaming for her to find Sesshomaru.

She ran through the castle, out into the courtyard, then outside the walls of the palace. Her jade eyes looked frantically in the darkness for any sign of where he went. That's when the smell of smoke and blood hit her now sensitive nose. Some of that blood was Sesshomaru's! Not questioning how she knew that, she ran in the direction of the scent. It wasn't too long until she spotted a plume of smoke rising lazily over the trees. Sparks of fire were interwoven throughout the dark plume. Flame's heart stopped in her chest as she continued running. What had Sesshomaru done?!

As she got closer the smell of his blood got thicker in the air. She could hear angry voices interwoven with ground shattering roars. Every sense in her screamed that he was in distress and needed help, making her force more speed. Suddenly she broke through the trees and was greeted with a horrifying sight.

Thick, black smoke choked the air as small, flaming particles flew by. Every house in the village was on fire and thick pools of blood were splashed all over the ground. It was a mix of human blood and Sesshomaru's. Flame's stomach lurched at the horror in front of her. Torn bits of people were scattered across the ground, adding to the grisliness. Suddenly a loud, pained roar filled the air. Gaining new determination, she ran towards the town square.

Sesshomaru was standing in the middle, surrounded by a huge army of demon slayers. A cloud of smoke surrounded him and seemed to be making him dizzy. “Lord Sesshomaru has gone insane!” a random villager screamed in the distance. The once proud taiyoukai was covered in several bleeding wounds, was bleeding from his mouth and was barely standing. The sight caused a knife of pain to twist in Flame's heart as she took in the sight. Not caring that she was completely naked, the now wolfen ran towards her mate.

Sesshomaru's legs shook as his vision blurred. The smoke was choking him, making him dizzy and disoriented. He snarled at the useless humans in front of him as they pointed their weapons at him. Valiantly, he tried to stay awake but could feel his consciousness slipping. Suddenly he collapsed, weakly growling at the demon slayers as they started to come close. Soon he could join his mate. With a soft whimper, he closed his eyes and waited.

Something snapped inside when she saw the powerful youkai collapse. Her whole body suddenly felt as if it were on fire and she fell to her knees. The burning increased, her whole body in agonizing pain as her vision went red. Suddenly she found herself miles high in the air. Not taking the time to understand what happened, she found herself awkwardly galloping toward Sesshomaru on four legs. She jumped over the crowd to stand over the wounded lord and heard growls ripping from her chest. Whatever she was now, she had to protect Sesshomaru.

When he didn't feel the release of death, Sesshomaru opened his crimson eyes to see what was happening. To his shock there was a giant wolf standing over him, snarling at the group of slayers. The wolf had brown ears, mustard yellow fur and red, flame-like markings. He had never seen this wolf youkai before and the blood clogging his nose made it impossible to smell who they were. He let out a weak growl, trying to struggle to his feet to fight off the intruder.

To his surprise, the giant lupine turned its head and whimpered in concern. It had large red eyes with tiny, white irises that were filled with worry. Something about the way the wolf stared at him made him relax. The creature nuzzled him gently, before turning back to face the slayers.

She wouldn't hurt the slayers unless they came closer. All she wanted to do was make sure her mate was safe. Thankfully the slayers backed off, giving them some space. Flame kept a wary eye on them as she laid down beside the huge dog demon. He growled ferociously at her, making her whimper sadly. She couldn't blame him. His nose was probably full of blood and he couldn't smell her. It wasn't as if he could recognize her in this form. Still not concerned with what she was exactly, she began to lick his bleeding wounds.

He could feel his wounds being healed one by one and he strength slowly returned. He growled ferociously, trying to move away from the creature. He didn't want to survive! Why was this wolf helping him. “Why are you doing this!” he snarled in youkai language.

Flame blinked as a string of snarls came out and she understood them. She had no idea youkai could communicate while in their beast form. Maybe she could answer. “I'm taking care of my mate,” she whimpered, shocked when it came out correctly.

Sesshomaru blinked at her answer. His mate was dead! Not only that, she was human. There was no way this lupine could be his mate. “You are not my mate,” he growled, his fur bristling. His fangs longed to sink into this youkai's throat. How dare this demon claim to be his mate. With a loud roar, he charged and tackled the wolf. His huge fangs rested on her furry neck. Loud snarls ripped from his throat as she lay prone beneath him. That was when he faintly smelled something through the blood in his nose.

Flame lay absolutely still as Sesshomaru slowly withdrew his fangs and began to sniff her neck. Gently, he licked where the mark was, causing an electric shock of pleasure to shoot through her new body. She couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped her throat. Finally he pulled away, looking at her with unbelieving eyes. Slowly rationality returned to his mind as his beast slowly retreated.

As he felt his sanity return, he couldn't help but feel confused. He had so many questions. Then he realized what was happening around him. He took in the destruction he had caused, a grimace on his canine face. He would have to come back once he had transformed and help. Now he had a few things to ask his mate. “Come,” he stated, turning and leaving the burning village.

Flame looked at the burning village, uncomfortable with the notion of just leaving them to deal with it. Sesshomaru looked at her, growling loudly. He was clearly not going to take no for an answer. Looking at the villagers apologetically, she trotted behind the huge, white dog. He led her deep into the forest before he stopped in a sizable clearing.

As he turned to face the wolf that was his mate, questions flooded his mind. How was she alive? Why was she a wolf youkai? “How are you alive? Why are you a wolf?” he asked. Every molecule in his body wanted to pounce her and lick her all over. He was so happy she was back. Yet he needed these answers.

Flame had expected these questions and smiled. She went into a long explanation, watching his expression closely. By the end, he was smiling as best as a dog could and wagging his tail. Once she had finished she found herself being pounced by Sesshomaru. Soon the pair was rolling around and playfully tussling like a pair of rambunctious puppies. After a while of playing, they finally collapsed, facing each other and panting. “What do I look like?” she asked curiously.

Sesshomaru smiled and got to his feet. Even if this ended up being his afterlife, he was happy. He almost didn't want to take his eyes off the beautiful canine in front of him in fear that she would disappear. “Come, I'll show you,” he purred, wagging his huge tail. Then he turned and led her back into the forest. They walked for a few moments before he stopped in front of a huge, crystal clear, completely still lake.

Flame took in the beautiful scene, her breath caught in her throat. The very air smelled clean and the energy was pure. Eagerly, she trotted toward the lake and looked in. As she saw her reflection a memory of something Luna said popped in her head. She was looking at a huge wolf and a rather odd looking one at that. “What odd markings,” she murmured, examining her reflection. As she was lost in thought, Sesshomaru padded up beside her and licked her cheek.

Flame turned to see him looking at her with a heated look that made a jolt of arousal shoot through her. A soft growl sprang from her lips, surprising them both. Something flashed in Sesshomaru's crimson eyes and he growled. Tongue lolling out, he circled behind her, sniffing at her canine entrance. Slowly he licked her puffy lips, probing her warm depths briefly with his jagged tongue. Flame made an odd purring noise and lifted her tail, looking back at Sesshomaru expectantly.

Sesshomaru stood on his hind feet, placing his huge front paws on her mustard colored back. Slowly he inched forward until the tip of his huge, red, canine member was pressing into her entrance. Panting hard, he slowly slid himself into her tight, warm, wet passage until he was hilted inside her. She made a soft wuffing noise of pleasure, earning her a gentle nip from the taiyoukai. “Mine,” he growled, nipping the mating mark.

Flame felt a low growl escape her instead of a moan as he nipped her mark. Then he began a slow rhythm, thrusting slow and deep. A low whimper escaped her as she braced her weight. Her legs were shaking and she was having a hard time standing up. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted harshly. Sesshomaru was also doing his fair share of panting as his front legs wrapped around her hips and he thrust faster. All too soon Flame could feel her release coming. Suddenly she tensed and howled loudly as she orgasmed hard enough to see stars.

Flame's shuddering, pulsing walls around him were too much and Sesshomaru hilted one last time. He howled as he emptied himself into his mate, knotting in the process. Gently, he nuzzled her neck as they both panted to catch their breath. Flame's legs shook as her orgasm slowly ebbed and Sesshomaru gently hopped off her. Then he turned so they were standing butt to butt. “We're going to be stuck like this for a bit,” he whispered, turning his head and smirking at her.

Flame blushed, tilting her ears back in embarrassment. Slowly, she laid down as her legs were unable to hold her anymore. Sesshomaru followed suit so the movement wouldn't hurt his sensitive knot. Both of them laid quietly, waiting for Sesshomaru to become unstuck. “What about the village?” Flame whispered.

“I already summoned my soldiers with my aura to go help them. Don't worry,” he reassured her, smiling as best as he could.

Half an hour later Sesshomaru was finally able to pull free with a groan of relief and nuzzled Flame's cheek lovingly. Flame made a purring noise, nuzzling back and wagging her tail. Suddenly Sesshomaru stiffened and began to sniff deeply. He pulled back, looking at her with frightened eyes. “You're pregnant again,” he whispered, his voice full of fear.

“Its okay. The pregnancy should go fine this time,” she replied, licking his cheek.

Suddenly they were both back to their human forms. The two looked at each other's nude bodies for a few moments before embracing. Sesshomaru's lips crashed on her hungrily, as if he had been dying for the taste of her lips. Flame moaned softly under the sudden onslaught, wrapping her arms around his pale neck. After a few heated moments he finally broke the kiss, resting his head against hers as they both panted. “I thought I had lost you,” he whispered, his voice heavy with emotion. A couple stray tears rolled down his cheeks and Flame gently wiped them away.

“Come, we must let Rin know we are okay,” he suggested, holding his hand out to her. With a smile, Flame skipped to him and wrapped her arms around his nude body. Holding onto her gently, he formed his youki cloud under them and began to fly back to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Just one more to go.


	21. Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!: Graphic birth

Two months. That was all her pregnancy was, two months. The first month had sped by. Sesshomaru had been extremely protective and hadn't left her side once. He had even gone so far as to get a scribe to do his paperwork for him. Rin had been overjoyed to learn her mother was alive and having another baby. The child was glowing and had been learning to cook so she could make Flame's breakfasts. Contrary to her first pregnancy, this one was going really smooth.

She had been able to eat and her belly had blossomed nicely. Sesshomaru couldn't keep his hands off her growing stomach. Now she was ending her second month and Sesshomaru was nearly insufferable. He never gave her a moments peace, even when she went to the bathroom. Every time she went to sleep she would wake up with him hovering over her worriedly. She knew it had to do with how the first pregnancy had gone.

Today was no exception. Sesshomaru had even gone so far as to forbid her from leaving the bed and she was bored stiff. The concerned taiyoukai was holding her tightly alternating between growling and whimpering as he pet her. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent and he seemed more restless than usual. It was almost as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Flame could feel it too. There was a weird, tense anticipation in the air and her body felt restless. She rested a hand on her taut dome, rubbing in small circles. She was slowly becoming aware that she was feeling more and more uncomfortable, almost like her skin was on fire. Unknown to her, her eyes flickered red.

Sesshomaru watched his mate tensely, every nerve on high alert. He could smell her beast starting to surface and felt his own rise in response. The birth of their pup would be soon and it seemed like they would be having a beast birth. Suddenly her aura flared, causing his beast to slam against its cage and his instincts to flare. It was time to get her out of the castle and take her to a remote place. Gently he picked her up before dashing off.

Flame held to him tightly, not questioning what was going on. She found herself feeling grateful they were leaving the castle. Something deep inside her was driving her to find a secluded spot. For what purpose she didn't know. Soon Sesshomaru came to a cave, setting her gently down inside. Almost immediately he held her to him, nuzzling her hair. Flame moaned softly as her aura flared again. Her body was so unbearably hot.

Sesshomaru watched his mate closely, keeping an eye out for any distress. A beast birth was highly dangerous for everyone involved. Both of them would enter a purely wild, instinctual state. If anyone approached, even if they meant to help, they would be torn apart. Any problems that arose could be deadly. Suddenly Flame was surrounded with a red aura as she transformed into her wolf form. At the sight of his heavily pregnant female, Sesshomaru let instinct over ride him as he transformed as well.

Flame whimpered, laying on her side and panting. She could feel the first contractions already starting and felt her rational mind slipping. Sesshomaru was right there, laying down behind her and licking her gently. He rumbled softly to comfort her. Then she stiffened as her stomach contracted. As she whimpered in pain, Sesshomaru licked her tenderly. Slowly the pain ebbed until she relaxed, still panting.

The smell of the impending birth was driving him mad with the need to protect her. Every whimper was a lance of pain through him as he tried to comfort her. Her tight stomach rippled as the pup inside moved restlessly. The great canine lord placed his snout against her stomach, as if trying to comfort the pup. He licked her lovingly as the next contraction made her tense. He rumbled softly to try to comfort her as she whimpered. Suddenly there was a loud splash as her water broke. Their pup was going to be here very soon.

Flame whimpered as she felt her water break and the pressure increase. Slowly, she staggered to her feet, earning a worried growl from Sesshomaru. Panting, she began to pace to relieve the incredible pain. Sesshomaru stuck very close to her, watching her for any signs of struggle. He looked like he wanted to force her to lay down but was letting her do what she needed. Suddenly she stopped, whining loudly as she went into a squat. Her back legs shook as her body began to push the pup down her tight canal.

Sesshomaru watched in fascination as her canine womanhood began to bulge as the pup came down. Slowly, the amniotic sac holding the pup became visible. Then, to his disappointment, it slowly slid back in as Flame stopped pushing. As he watched, his mate whimpered and laid down on her side again while panting.

The instinct to birth her pup was incredible. As soon as the next pain hit she was pushing hard, whimpering as the pup slowly began to slide out. Faintly, she was aware of a burning sensation as the pup spread her open. A strained bark left her as she continued to push as hard as she could. Finally she had to stop, growling in frustration as some of her pup slid back in. She only took a few seconds to rest before pushing again, unable to ignore her instincts.

Sesshomaru's heart leapt in his throat as more and more of their child emerged. From the looks of the pup, it was pure white. Suddenly their pup finally slipped free amongst a gush of fluids. Gently, Sesshomaru tore the amniotic sac of the small, squeaking pup as his mate caught her breath.

Struggling to get to her pup, Flame managed to get into a sitting position before looking pleadingly at Sesshomaru. Thankfully he seemed to understand, bringing the large pup to one of her milk laden teats. Almost immediately the pup attached and began to suckle while Flame began to lick the newborn clean. “Its a boy,” she whispered, some of her humanity returning.

Sesshomaru smiled, laying behind her and nuzzling her lovingly. As they watched, the small pup fed until it fell asleep. Lovingly, Sesshomaru licked the sleeping pup before licking Flame's cheek. “He's perfect,” he whispered, nuzzling his mate. Slowly, they both returned to normal but to their surprise their pup stayed a pup. Gathering his mate and pup gently into his arms, Sesshomaru formed his youki cloud and flew back to the castle.

Flame smiled up at Sesshomaru tiredly before yawning widely. “I love you Sesshomaru,” she murmured sleepily.

“I love you too Flame,” he whispered back, kissing her forehead. Flame smiled sleepily, closing her eyes. As she slipped into slumber, she found herself thinking of all the centuries they had yet to share and smiled.

 

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And that's it. I'm going to eventually do an epilogue to wrap up the fang thing but the fic is pretty much done. I hope y'all enjoyed this old thing!


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